GVU : The Freshman Rush
by AmericanGecko
Summary: It's time for Kim and Ron's Freshman Year in college, and they'll be attending the prestigious yet mysterious Global Vanguard U. In addition to this new academic setting, what other challenges will they face? BOOK 2 in the "PLAUSIBLE POSSIBILITIES" universe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Chapter 1 is up and running!

It's a brand new story and a brand new set of adventures! If you haven't yet read **Changes** (20 chapters + Epilogue), I highly suggest you stop now and go back and read it, because events from that story will be referenced quite a bit in this tale. If you have, then let's get down to business. :)

Kim and Ron are less than a month away from college, but one of them still has a major issue to deal with.

While that's going on, someone has a surprise in the works for Team Possible.

Then the final trip to the ruins of the Possible home leads to an unexpected discovery, a little light is shed on an earlier suspicion.

Back home, some unexpected guests have some big news.

And on a group outing, a secret is revealed.

Finally, someone's back, with a whole new way to get revenge on Team Possible.

Ready or not, the new sitch is here and building!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

The red-head was tweaked. No, scratch that, she was _ferociously tweaked_. And for some reason that was completely unfathomable to her or anyone else, she wanted to be. She wanted to be with everything she had, and yet somehow the object, or rather, _person_ responsible for her foul mood wouldn't let her stay that way. She'd tried everything to be mad at him, and yet somehow all her fury kept evaporating away with one look at that goofy grin of his. Just a single glance at that lopsided smile, and her insides instantly felt warm and melted the icy feeling she wanted to project towards him. It just wasn't fair, she decided.

"Ron, how can you know what you want to major in when I don't even have a single clue?" Kim Possible complained to her boyfriend…scratch that, to her _fiancé_.

Ron Stoppable merely grinned at his love. "Simple, KP. I go with my strengths, and I don't have that many. At least, not many that are marketable in everyday society."

Ever since the strange sitch that started just after they graduated from Middleton High had come to a happy yet abrupt ending the weekend just before July 4th, the demands of beginning college had been building like a pressure cooker. Prior to that fateful night in May when they met the time-traveling pair of June Stoppable and Xander Lipsky, college had been all that Kim and Ron had been able to think about. But when their future daughter and her boyfriend arrived on the scene bearing warnings of an apocalyptic future, all that talk about furthering their education had seemed so trivial. Now, as they prepared to enter August and found themselves less than a month away from moving on to this next stage of their lives, all that worrying had returned with a sparking vengeance, particularly for Kim.

Shortly after the two time travelers had returned to their own place in history, Kim and Ron had decided to go public with the announcement that they had both chosen to attend Global Vanguard U. in Upperton in the fall. They would have done it sooner, but they both knew that the inevitable media backlash might bring about a lot of questions about Julie Anne and Xander and how Team Possible knew them. And based on their luck, someone would discover the truth, which was the worst possible outcome. Plus, Kim hadn't quite been herself, having been switched over by the Reverse Polarizer to the villainous Lady Kigo, her own counterpart to Ron's alter ego Zorpox, for almost an entire week. So they had waited until everything had settled down to make their announcement to the media.

What they hadn't expected was how quickly the press would jump all over the fact that Kim had absolutely no idea what she wanted to major in at the secretive yet apparently prestigious university. It had come up during that original press conference, and the events that transpired had followed them both ever since.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Mr. Stoppable, what are you going to be majoring in at G.V.U.?" an eager reporter asked as numerous flashbulbs continued to go off left, right, and center.

"Culinary Arts, with a minor in Business Management," Ron replied calmly.

"And will you be joining the Guardians football program? Coach Devereaux is apparently looking for a replacement after the graduation last year of star Guardian running back Brian Weeks, and with the numerous Colorado state high school records you were able to completely demolish during your senior year with the Middleton High Mad Dogs, and Coach Steve Barkin's glowing recommendation, Devereaux's already stated you would be a welcome addition to the team."

Ron turned to Kim, who winked, and then looked back out at the reporters. "As of this moment, I am leaning towards trying out. However, my studies will come first no matter what. Right now, the most important priority in my life, other than Kim of course, is to prepare for the future that lies ahead of me."

"And Miss Possible, what are your plans for attending G.V.U.?"

Kim smiled sweetly. "Well, I haven't really decided what I'm going to do yet. As far as cheerleading goes, I am tempted to sit out at least Freshman Year until I can get a handle on balancing the world of college with the mission aspect, though I'm still undecided on that.

"And your field of study, Miss Possible?"

"To tell the truth, I'm not even sure what I'm going to study yet. I'm simply keeping as many options open as possible."

******+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**  


Kim's chalkboard quote of a reply had become instant fodder for every newspaper, television show, magazine, and trash rag all over the world, and quite frankly Kim was growing tired of it. It seemed every single media outlet thought the idea that the "great teen hero Kim Possible" didn't know what she wanted to study in college was either the world's biggest joke or the world's biggest cover-up, and they treated it as such in their unrelenting quest for an answer. No matter what kind of press they talked to nowadays, the question kept coming up over and over, even if it was totally unrelated to the story being covered. The only member of the press that hadn't seemed to be after the two teens for a response was Heather Tyler, the reporter they'd given their big interview to back in May—somehow, despite everything Kim and Ron went through, the platinum blonde-haired reporter still saw them as regular people just trying to live their lives, a view they were very grateful for. The rest were like dogs with bones, refusing to give up until they got the "real story" on why Kim wouldn't tell them her major. And the worst part about the whole sitch was that the red head was still no closer to having any sort of answer to give them.

Now, as she and Ron walked through Middleton Park together on the warm afternoon of August 1st, the feelings of resentment towards her boyfriend and his knowing what he wanted to do kept poking at the back of her mind. She knew it wasn't his fault that she didn't know what she wanted to study. But for reasons beyond her grasp. she felt like she wanted to be tweaked at him over it—like she wanted to be mad that for maybe the first time in their academic careers Ron was the one on top of things while she was the one falling behind. But Ron just kept smiling at her, and every single smile melted away the anger and resentment she for some unfathomable reason wanted to feel.

Of course, it wasn't like he was the only person Kim knew who had already settled on what they were going to do with their lives. In fact, most of her close friends in Mad Dog Class of 2006 had already made the decision. Marcella Vaughn would be attending Upperton University, having decided to go through the very same medical program Kim's mother had learned her craft from. Tara Matthews, who had proven just how good she was with a guitar and her very capable, country-styled voice in the Middleton High senior year talent show, would be packing up her pickup truck in just over a week and heading to Nashville to pursue a singing career. Ron's best friend Felix Renton was going for a double major in Robotics and Medicine, though for some unknown reason nobody knew where he was going to be studying, not even his fiancée Zita Flores—at least, if she did know, she hadn't told a soul. For her part, the Hispanic beauty would be rooming with Marcella at Upperton, enrolled in a program for Computer Graphic Design that would allow her to turn her love of video games and art into a career. Everybody knew that Monique was of course apparently going to be going the Fashion Design route, but just like with Felix no one seemed to know where her degree was going to come from—she even refused to tell her BFF Kim, saying she had been sworn to complete secrecy.

It seemed like everyone had a career path in mind except the young woman who lived by the motto of "I can do anything."

"Seriously, Ron, what am I going to do to get them to leave me alone about picking a major?" she complained as they sat down on a park bench to rest.

The young man smiled. "Well, we could always let our other big announcement out of the bag. I know our parents want to."

Kim blew a hair out of her face in annoyance. "Ron, you know the reason we haven't told anyone about our engagement yet is because I want my family to find out from us, not some media outlet. And we haven't yet been able to get in contact with Grandpa and Grandma Carmichael. We know they're okay from my mom's twin sister Laura and her older brother Zach, but we haven't been able to talk to them since a week before my birthday."

Ron patted her hand in her lap. "I still don't see what the big deal about it is. I mean, I understand about not wanting them to find out from the press, but why not pass the message through Z or Aunt Laura? Why do you have to tell them yourself?"

Kim looked at him with a wry smile. "Remember what you told me about your mom's sister Alma and her feelings towards your dad being a Reform Jewish and marrying into their strictly Jewish family. And what that meant about how she was going to react to me and my being Baptist when we see them during fall break this year?"

"Yeah," Ron replied a little nervously.

Kim sighed. "Well unfortunately, my Grandma Dorothy can be almost as obtuse about anyone in the family marrying someone who's not Southern Baptist. I've heard she didn't say too much about my mom and dad since Daddy was a regular Baptist, but evidently the fit she pitched when Aunt Laura agreed to marry Uncle Phillip, a Catholic, was something to behold. Now imagine the ruckus she's going to raise when she finds out you're Reform Jewish?"

Ron was puzzled. "But won't that happen even if we tell them in person?"

Kim shook her head and smiled. "No, or at least not as full blown as it would be. See, Grandma Dorothy may be pretty headstrong about it, but Grandpa Amos tends to be a little bit more relaxed about that sort of thing. I'd almost go so far as to say his rules for accepting people go right along with yours."

Ron smiled, still confused. "But I don't have any rules when it comes to that, Kim. I just normally assume a person's good unless I have a good reason not to. Although there have been exceptions."

Kim smirked. "Like Josh?"

Ron held up his hands defensively. "Hey, that one's unfair and you know it, KP."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Just teasing you, Ronnie."

Kim leaned in to give him another peck on the cheek, but he surprised her, pulling a dip and kiss right there on the park bench. When he righted her a few minutes later after a scorcher of a lip-lock, Kim was on Cloud 9. She was so far into her own world that she didn't even realize they'd started walking again until they got about fifteen yards from the bench and were near the middle of the park. Looking over to her right, she saw a group of men digging the beginnings of what looked to be some sort of fountain or statue. A couple of the workers were leaning on shovels, apparently taking some sort of break, and let loose with a few catcalls as they walked by. Kim's only response was to wrap her arms around Ron's right arm and snuggle closer to him, making it clear to all of them that she was already happily spoken for.

As the two teens turned the corner around a bunch of trees, the foreman came over and accosted his workers. "I hope you guys realize you just made eyes and leers at the people responsible for you having a job right now."

One of the workers tipped his hat up in surprise. "You mean to tell us those two are the ones who are gonna be featured here?"

The foreman nodded. "Yes, Mike. 'Those two,' as you put it, just happened to be Team Possible."

Mike stared at the corner where the two teens had just disappeared. "But Team Possible's just a pair of kids. Those two looked like they were in college."

The foreman smiled. "They are in college, or at least they start on the 21st of this month. Which is why the Mayor wants this to be a rush job. He wants this thing and the surrounding area ready to be presented by the 19th, which is the weekend before and gives us just under two weeks to finish. Now quit standing around and get back to work. This foundation has to be ready by the time that statue arrives on the 14th so we can set it up quickly and cleanly and prepare the surrounding area for the festivities."

* * *

While they were driving back through Middleton towards Ron's house, Kim asked if they could make a stop by her house, a request that Ron readily agreed to. Ron's parents had invited Kim and her family to live with them when the Possible house had been demolished at the start of the Lorwardian invasion, and ever since Kim and Ron had been making frequent trips to the site to sift through the rubble for anything they could find. They'd already made several scores, such as the jewelry boxes belonging to Nana Possible and Grandma Carmichael, the trunk containing the family photo albums and wedding clothes of Kim's parents, and Kim's own personal memento box. However, it had become painfully obvious over the past few days and their last few trips that there wasn't much else in salvageable condition left to find. As a result, the bulldozer would come by tomorrow to raze what was left so that her parents could start rebuilding.

It wasn't that the Stoppables were growing tired of having the Possibles in their house; on the contrary, Gene and Jean Stoppable had expressed nothing but further invitations for Kim and her family to stay as long as they needed to. However, James and Anne Possible didn't want to abuse such a wonderful gesture, and had decided that it was time to let the rest of the memories go and start anew. In all actuality, the new house was going to be built pretty much the same as the old one with a few exceptions. Kim's mom had finally made the decree that it was time for Jim and Tim to each have their own room, and James wanted to add in a home office so that he could bring home work from the Middleton Space Center and not have to do it in the basement workshop. Kim had of course offered up her room to become the new office, but her parents wouldn't hear of it, saying that they wanted their daughter to always feel like she had a place in their home. Even with the new additions, they actually hoped the contractors and builders would have it mostly completed, except for the interior, by Thanksgiving, right around the time Kim and Ron came home for fall break.

As Ron pulled the Sloth into the driveway, the only part of the house left undamaged by the mech that destroyed it, Kim stared ahead somewhat vacantly. She didn't even seem to realize they'd stopped until Ron opened her door for her and offered his hand to help her out. He put his arm around her shoulder, and together they walked around the front of the car and leaned back against the hood. Ron could tell she needed him to just be there without saying anything, so that's what he did. After a few minutes of comfortable silence and staring, Kim turned towards her sandy-haired boyfriend.

"Ron, I was wondering about something. Have you gotten any sort of roommate notification yet?"

Ron blinked and shook his head in confusion. "No, not really. Why do you ask?"

Kim turned back towards the remains of the house. "I don't know. I mean, we got the dorm notifications and room assignments already, so I just figured we'd have found out by now who our roommates are going to be. I mean, whoever does end up rooming with us is going to have to be able to deal with our unique way of living. I guess I just don't want to get someone I clash with on every level and fight with all the time."

Ron got a silly little grin. "Hey, we could always ask to room together."

Kim knew he was joking to make her feel better, so she played along. "Oh, sure, and while we're at it we can go ahead and get you fitted for that new space suit."

"Space suit?" Ron said confusedly.

Kim laughed. "Yeah. When Daddy finds out we're roommates, he's gonna push up that black hole probe mission he's had in the works ever since our Junior Prom."

Ron gave her a one-arm hug. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it's pretty cool that we're gonna be in a co-ed dorm right off the bat. Won't have to worry about signing each other in and out all the time."

She smiled at that. "True, but it also means we'll have to exercise a bit of restraint. I know we both can study a little better when we're around each other, but you know there are going to be times when I'm going to have to lock you out because I have to cram for a test."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, and I know there's gonna come a time or two when I have to retreat into my room to memorize recipes for an exam or two. The G.V.U. Culinary Arts program is supposed to be one of the best there is."

Kim leaned against him. "Well, the college being sponsored by Global Justice doesn't hurt, I'll bet."

Ron nodded, sensing that the subject had reached its end. "Hey, enough about college right now. How about we do one last sweep of this place and see if we can find anything else salvageable?"

Kim took a deep breath and nodded her agreement. "Alright. I do know there's a particular red dress my mom wants us to see if we can find, so I'll check where my parents' room was. Do you think you could check where the Tweebs room was? Dad's still worried they had more secret stores of experimental rocket fuel stashed away."

Ron grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "No problem, KP."

They split up and headed towards their respective search areas. A few minutes later, Kim heard a shout of triumph from Ron, followed by the rattling of several cans. She smiled as she saw him carrying not only a container marked "J-200," but also ones marked "J-300" and "J-100" as well. The Tweebs were going to have some explaining to do, particularly on the J-300 that she knew her dad had warned them specifically not to touch. Turning back towards the pile she was sifting through in the area that had been underneath her parents' bedroom, she noticed what looked like the remains of her mom's old chiffarobe dresser. Her hope rising, she removed a few boards and saw with some delight that it appeared to be in generally good shape. At least, it appeared to have protected whatever its drawers contained; the dresser itself was cracked and damaged so badly it was probably only good for firewood.

Taking a deep breath of anticipation, she reached for the top drawer and pulled it out. Inside were several items that she knew her mom would want saved without Ron seeing them, so Kim silently pushed that one back in until she could find something to cover it up with. The second drawer held what looked like her mom's old high school yearbooks. Smiling, she pulled the one from her mom's senior year out. As she did, it fell open to the page of seniors whose last names began with C's and D's. She immediately saw her mothers and her aunt's pictures near the top of the left page, and grinned when she realized that she looked almost exactly like her mother had at her age. She was about to turn the page when she saw another familiar face on the opposite side, nestled in the D's.

The young brunette girl had an almost glowing smile that Kim had never seen on the woman's face, and her eyes (both of them) held a laughing quality that seemed almost completely out of place. She stared hard for a moment, trying to make sure she was really seeing this. Looking around her, the found a small black string and balled up the middle of it, then placed it over the right eye. Now there was no question in her mind: Kim was looking at the eighteen-year-old face of one Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Director. And that meant that the young man next to her was her twin brother Sheldon Director, a.k.a. Gemini, leader of the Worldwide Evil Empire.

"RON!" Kim yelled, bringing the young man running.

"What's up, KP? Where are they?" he asked, dropping into a defensive stance.

"Amp down, Ron. There's no villain sitch. There's just this," she said as she pointed to the picture of the Global Justice leader as teenager.

Ron squinted at the picture. "Hey, so your mom does know Dr. Director."

Kim shook her head in surprise. "Wait. You knew about this? And you didn't say anything?"

Ron held out his hands. "Hey, theory only. When we had to deal with that media blitz earlier this summer and you basically went into shock, they seemed to know each other better than normal. They even called each other by their full names."

Kim blinked and stared from her mom's picture to Betty's and back again. "Okay, this is just too weird. Why didn't my mom tell me she knew Dr. Director when they were younger?"

Ron scratched his head. "I don't know, KP. Maybe it's some vow of secrecy or something? I mean, we still don't know everything that there is to know about Global Justice. We didn't even know there was someone above Dr. Director until this summer."

Kim cocked her head to the side a bit. "I guess you're right. It still weirds me out a bit, though. Plus, with the way Agent Gerhardt treated us, I'm not too sure how I feel about them right now."

"I hear that," agreed Ron.

Shortly after Kim had been reverted back to good, Ron had filled her in on what had happened after her alter ego Lady Kigo took off from the Caribbean island owned by Andrew Lipsky and Sheila Godfrey, the former Dr. Drakken and Shego. Thanks to his own actions, Ivan Gerhardt had been stripped of his status as a Global Justice operative and placed in one of the spy network's many high-security prisons. As far as Team Possible was concerned, the former "next-in-line for the Director's position" remained locked up. And based on what they knew about him and his brutish tactics and demeanor, they were more than happy to keep him there. Especially considering that if Gerhardt had had his way, they themselves would be the ones under lockup with the key tossed out.

Kim pulled the yearbooks out, intending to have a private, one-on-one with her mother about important information, and began sifting through the drawers of the busted dresser once again. The rest of the drawers didn't contain much, but she pulled them all out anyways, using a sheet she found in the bottom one to cover the stuff in the top one. Then she pulled open the closet portion of the busted chiffarobe, or rather busted the doors off since the hinges were so rusted from the rains that had come through since the invasion. Inside she found not only the red dress her mom had asked for, but a couple others as well. There was one silver one that had picked up a lot of water damage and some mold due to where it hung, but the other five were all in salvageable condition. She even found her mom's version of her own little black dress, and had to hold back a gasp as she realized where exactly on her mother this thing ended. They loaded up all they'd found so far, and turned to take another look at the debris.

"Think we could find anything else?" Ron asked.

Kim thought for a moment. "Well, there is one thing I want to see if I can find before we call off the search," she finally said with a sly smile on her face. "But I need you to wait here so the surprise isn't spoiled."

"Surprise?" Ron asked with a wide-eyed look.

She walked over and planted a warm kiss across his lips intended to leave him in a pleasant daze. It actually worked a little too well, as he fell backwards in the grass much like he'd done in the hallway of Middleton High after the kiss she'd given him during the Moodulator incident. After checking to make sure he was alright, she giggled and headed off towards the area where her room had been. Shortly after he finally recovered his senses and sat up, she came walking up with a bundle hidden behind her back. Ron tried to get a look at it, but Kim stuffed it into the drawer of her mother's she'd told him not to touch under any circumstances.

"C'mon, KP. What's the big secret?" he whined good-naturedly as he climbed into the shotgun seat of the Sloth.

Kim smiled as she slipped into the driver's seat. "I told you it's a surprise. For your birthday, specifically."

Ron sighed. "So I gotta wait a whole month for it?"

Kim winked and nuzzled up against his ear. "I promise you're going to like it, especially with what I plan to do with it."

That sent his male blood on fire, and Kim giggled as she noticed him shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat.

"Do we need to stop by Bueno Nacho for a Slurpster Iceberg?" she teased. The frozen version of the Tex-Mex eatery's drink, in addition to causing monstrous brain freezes, could easily cool off any boiling blood effects of the normal adolescent teenager.

Ron grimaced. "Either that, or you need to block your dad from seeing me until I can get a cold shower."

Kim laughed as she turned on the ignition and backed out of the driveway. "Ron, I hate to tell you this, but I think he'd know just from the look on your face."

"Oh ha ha," quipped Ron as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit. "Just go by Bueno Nacho, then. It's not like we have to pay it."

Kim nodded and turned in the direction of the restaurant. Thanks to an agreement their parents had made with Bueno Nacho, neither teen would ever have to pay to eat at the restaurant again. Also, thanks to Ron's invention of the Naco and Kim's suggestion of the completely vegetarian Hablamos Salad, the fast food chain would now be paying them both royalty checks for the rest of their lives. Of course, neither agreement was in the range of the $99 Million that Ron's first royalty check had been, but they were still going to each receive sizeable sums. In fact, on the night the teens had been informed of the deal, Kim's dad had made the declaration that if they were smart with the money, they would never have to work again. It didn't mean that they weren't going to, but it was still nice to know the money was there. Or at least it would be eventually.

Part of the agreement indicated that the majority of the money was going into trust funds, one for Ron and one for Kim, and that they would only receive stipends out of the accounts until the time they turned 25. If they were married before then they only had to wait until they were 21, but neither of them was in any rush to do that just yet. While they might already be engaged, they both knew the pressures of getting married too young, as well as what could happen if Kim got pregnant before she obtained at least her Bachelor's Degree. Plus, the stipends were actually pretty generous, so they were perfectly happy to wait.

Within a few minutes, they had been through the drive-thru of the restaurant, and Ron was quickly downing the frozen concoction. Just like his seemingly unfillable stomach, his head seemed almost impervious to brain freezes. Whereas only a few sips of an Iceberg easily gave Kim the cold headaches, her partner could easily chug half of a Super Grande-sized 64 oz. and barely even shiver. He'd proved this on many occasions, and this was no different, as the drink was mostly gone by the time they reached the Stoppable household. Kim and Ron were both surprised to see two extra cars there, even though they recognized both vehicles. One was Monique Watson's small light blue Ford Contour, and the other was Felix Renton's black, handicap-modified Dodge Ram van.

Inside, they found not only their two best friends, but also Monique's brother Jamal and Felix's mom, Dr. Maggie Renton. As soon as Kim and Ron entered, everyone turned towards them with smiles.

"Hey, roomie," Monique said with a grin as she gave Kim a hug.

"Roomie?" asked Kim with a puzzled look.

Anne Possible waved a letter from where she sat on the couch. "We got another letters for you two from G.V.U., Kim, and they finally decided on your roommates. You're going to be rooming with Monique, and Ron ended up with Felix."

"Boo Yeah!" exclaimed Ron as he gave his best friend a high-five. "All night zombie bashing parties!"

Felix grinned. "Just hope you can keep up, Ron-man. I recently acquired the new edition to the series, Zombie Mayhem 4, and I've already gotten my guy to level 10. And this one doesn't even have cheat codes yet, so there's no way Wade'll be able to help you do it that way again."

"Aww man," Ron grumped, apparently getting rid of the idea to ask Wade to do just that.

Dr. Renton smiled at her son and his best friend. "Just remember that there are times you need to turn off the video games and do your school work and homework, boys."

"Yeah, Mom," Felix replied.

"Say something, girl," Monique said as she smiled at Kim.

Kim grinned. "I think Ron already said it, Mon. Boo Yeah."

"Oh, and B.T.W., I'm still a little tweaked you waited so long to tell me about your BF's PTQ."

Jamal shook his head in confusion. "Moni, I live with you and I didn't understand that one."

Kim laughed a bit. "Don't worry, Jamal, I understood it. And she's kind of right. Getting engaged is kind of the sort of thing a BFF has the right to know pretty soon after it happens."

Monique smiled. "You better believe it, girl. You just better make sure you remember that when it comes time for your bachelorette."

James stood up. "Now hold on a minute, there. I thought you two had decided to wait until after you graduated from college."

Anne shook her head. "Honestly, dear. Of course Monique's referring to after they graduate. Right, Monique?"

The young woman smiled. "Of course, Dr. P. I'm just warning Kim that I have ample time to get back at her."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Just be sure you don't go overboard, Mon." Then she thought of something. "Umm, Monique, not that I'm complaining about this ferociously positive sitch, but why are you attending the college that's sponsored by Global Justice? Doesn't Fashion Design focus more on the 'out in the open' clothing market and not on the spy one?"

Monique grinned. "Normally yes, but if I go to this school I can learn from all the greats in one place. That's also why I was so stoked to get to design Ron's new mission wear, because it gave me something to present to them in a real-world setting. And judging from the public's reaction to his new duds, I'd say I did a pretty good job."

"Definitely," agreed Kim.

"So, how's this gonna work?" asked Ron. "I mean, I've never had a roommate before."

"Hey!" chirped Rufus as he popped up out the young man's pocket.

"Sorry, buddy," he said as he patted the mole rat's head. "Okay, rephrase. I've never had a _human_ roommate before."

"Uh huh, better," the small mammal replied with a grin, apparently placated.

Felix smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ron-man. We can hammer out the specifics as we go. Just make sure you bring pajamas and plenty of clean towels."

"Definitely, dude. And you don't have to worry. I've already read that book _The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Situations_. Kim made me read it just after we sent in our acceptance," replied Ron as he ducked to avoid the oncoming good-natured sideswipe Kim made at his head.

Kim of course merely readjusted her pop, catching him on the back of the head instead of on the shoulder like she originally intended to. "I didn't make you read it, I suggested it."

"And threatened to withhold kissing if I refused," he complained.

Gene Stoppable couldn't resist laughing at his son. "Sounds like Kimberly knows how to get you to focus, Ronald." He turned towards his future daughter-in-law. "Feel free to use that method anytime you wish while you two are at G.V.U."

Kim grinned. "Oh, I intend to, Mr. S." Kim still couldn't call Ron's parents by anything but a respectful title, but thankfully they seemed happy that she'd stopped using the full last name.

Monique glanced at her watch. "Whoops, I gotta get going. Gotta get to my shift over at Club Banana. Want me to drop you off, Jamal?"

Her brother shook his head. "Nah. I'd rather walk. Wade's house isn't too far."

Felix glanced at them in confusion. "Wade's?"

Ron suddenly popped his own forehead with his palm. "Oh, that's right; I hadn't passed the word yet. Jamal and Monique were living by themselves before the Lorwardians came through. Their house got destroyed so they've been living over at Wade's house kind of like Kim and her family have been staying here. Though I am kind of surprised Zita hadn't told you yet."

Felix waved his hand absentmindedly. "She probably did. Sometimes find myself getting lost in her beautiful eyes and not hearing everything she says."

Ron grinned as he looked over at Kim with a wink. "I hear that, man. I hear that."

Kim suddenly had a flash. "Hey, why don't we all go out to celebrate this? Invite the whole group. It might be the last time we get to do something like this, especially once Tara leaves."

"Good idea, Kim," replied Felix. He turned towards his mother. "Do you mind, Mom?"

"Not at all, Felix. And don't worry; I'll catch another ride home. Just don't stay out too late. Remember we've got that appointment with Dr. Ottoman tomorrow."

"May I offer that ride?" James offered. "I need to pick up the specs for the new robot for Vivian anyways."

Dr. Renton smiled. "Thank you, James. That means I won't have to swing by tomorrow on my day off."

After they left, Anne turned towards her daughter. "Oh, Kimmie, Dr. Director wants you to call her when you can. She said it wasn't urgent, she just needs to clarify a few things with you about what happened this summer."

Kim sighed. "Okay, Mom. I'll call her first thing tomorrow morning."

That's when she remembered the yearbook.

"By the way, Mom, Ron and I need to have a word with you."

"Sure, Kimmie, what's on your mind?"

The look on her daughter's face, and where the two teens had evidently just come from, gave her a pretty good idea what was up.

"Oh. Right." She turned towards Ron's mother. "Jean, could you watch the boys for a moment and make sure they don't come near Kim's room. There are some things I have to tell Kim and Ron that the twins don't need to hear."

Jean smiled. "Of course, Anne. It won't be any trouble at all."

Kim's mom smiled her thanks, and motioned for Kim and Ron to follow her into the spare bedroom that Kim was using. She also motioned for them to bring the yearbook that Kim was holding. Once they were all three inside, Anne turned the deadbolt on the door.

"Kim, Ron," she said barely above a whisper, "before we begin, I need you to sweep the entire room for any listening devices. If I know Kim's brothers they've been secretly bugging this whole house at times when they've been here alone."

Kim and Ron nodded and scanned the whole room with their wrist Kimmunicators. It was a good thing they did, because they found and deactivated over twenty different microphones that Jim and Tim had placed throughout the area.

"Tweebs," Kim growled through clenched teeth.

Now they'd gotten all the bugs, Anne Possible spoke in a normal voice. "Don't worry, dear, I'll be speaking to them about this momentarily, but first we need to deal with your questions. And based on the fact that you found my high school yearbooks, I've got a pretty good idea what those questions are. Now, I'll tell you what I can, but understand that there are reasons you've never heard about this before."

Kim nodded. "I guess the first question has to be why didn't you tell us you and Aunt Laura went to school with Dr. Director and Gemini?"

Anne cocked an eyebrow. "Gemini? Oh, you mean Betty's twin brother Sheldon. Well, part of that would have to be because, well, your Aunt Laura and Sheldon Director dated at one time."

"Gemini and your aunt? Ewww," Ron exclaimed.

Kim didn't vocalize it, but she felt the same way. However, she was in no way prepared for what came next.

"That's not even the half of it, Ron. I dated Sheldon's best friend, Francis."

Kim stared at her mother open-mouthed. "Don't tell me…that you and…"

Her mother merely smiled. "Open that book up to the senior class in the L's if you don't believe me."

Although she was slightly nauseous at the mere thought, Kim did indeed open up to the L's And there, at the back of the pack just before the M's, was one Francis Luhrman, now known as Frugal Lucre.

"Mom? You and…and Lucre? But he lives with his mom in Philadelphia."

"Moved there after we graduated." Her mother looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, Kim, but your father's not the only one who knew some of your bad guys when he was younger. Although I'm pretty sure Frugal Lucre and Gemini are the only ones I know personally. Other than Drakken through your father of course."

"And what about knowing Dr. Director, Mrs. Dr. P.? Why keep that a secret?" Ron asked with a puzzled look.

Anne sighed. "Honestly, until she showed up this May, I had no idea that's who it was you kept talking about. All I knew about Betty was that she seemed to completely disappear after high school. I didn't even know we went to college in the same state, much less the same town. I simply went to Upperton U. because they had the best neurosurgeon program in the nation."

Kim eyed her mother. "Mom, there's something you're not telling us."

Her mother shook her head. "Sorry, Kimmie, but that's really all I'm allowed to tell you. If you want any other answers about my connection to Dr. Director, you'll have to ask her personally."

Kim gritted her teeth. "Oh, believe me. I intend to do just that."

* * *

Later that evening, Kim, Ron, and the group met up at the Middleton Mall. Plans were immediately made to have dinner from the food court and a movie to follow, hopefully something they all wanted to see. So it was that the teens were all gathered around a table in the food court each with a tray of food from the restaurant they'd chosen. In the middle of the table was a newspaper opened up to the showings at the Middleton Mall Multiplex.

"C'mon guys, back me up on this," Felix said through a mouthful and then swallowed his food. "Kim could easily pull off every single one of those stunts done in the _Situation Improbable_ movies with her hands tied behind her back, and the third one's the worst of the bunch. We don't want to go see that."

"I agree," remarked Tara. "Besides, why can't we go see something we'd all enjoy? Like that movie about the Greeks?"

Marcella rolled her eyes. "Tara, you just want to go see _250_ because all the soldiers wear barely more than loincloths and helmets for practically the entire movie. How about something funny? _Clicker_ is supposed to be pretty good."

Kim shook her head. "No way. _Towel Boy_ was decent comedy, but I've yet to see anything else with that guy that I thought was even remotely funny. How about _Chasing Contentment_? It's supposed to be pretty good."

Monique, who it turned out had read the schedule wrong and wasn't working tonight, eyed her BFF with an 'are you kidding' stare. "Girl, that thing has very little plot, and plus it doesn't start for another hour. We need something that starts fairly soon."

Ron scanned the paper. "Hey, the remake of _Neptune_ starts in about fifteen minutes."

Wade shook his head. "Trust me Ron, that thing is so terrible you'll want to claw your eyes out."

Zita agreed. "He's right Ron. That's easily our worst seller right now. People keep saying it's got too much flash and not enough story."

Kim got an idea on how to settle this. "Hey Zita, what are your two top sellers right now?"

Zita thought for a moment. "Well, it would either have to be _West Pointe_ or _The Demon Wears Gucci_. Both are doing pretty good sales right now. Personally, I'd go for _The Demon Wears Gucci_, but that's just because I'm not that interested in the other one."

Kim smiled. "Anybody already seen either one of those?"

Tara raised her hand. "Me and Jason Morgan saw the _Gucci_ one when we were dating back before graduation, but I think I missed most of it because he kept trying to do things in the rear of the theater. Absolute last time I agree to a guy's suggestion to sit in the back row. Point is I'd have no problems going to see it again."

Monique let out a wry smile. "That was the date where you called it quits with him wasn't it, T?"

Tara shook her head. "No, but it was a big factor. I gave him one more date to redeem himself, and he came far short of getting the respect line back up to where it needed to be. And I'm not going to be with a guy who doesn't respect boundaries."

Marcella raised her drink in toast. "I second that."

The rest of the girls also raised their cups, followed soon by the boys after three simultaneous elbows. Kim took special notice that Monique was acting with Wade almost the same as she was with Ron and Zita was with Felix.

As they lowered the drinks from the toast, Ron scanned the paper. "Well, _Demon Wears Gucci_ starts in about twenty minutes, so we'd better get going. Need to get prime seats and snackage."

The group dumped their trash, stacked their trays, and started for the theater, Kim hanging back to catch Monique by the arm and pull her off to the side. Wade and Ron started to wait, but the girls waved them to go ahead and get the tickets and concessions. When they were safely out of earshot, Kim turned to her friend.

"Mon, what are you doing? You're acting like Wade zapped you with a Cupid Ray again."

Monique looked down at the floor. "Is it that obvious?"

Kim shook her head. "Wait, he did?"

Monique shook her head. "No, it's not that, but it's almost as bad."

Kim was puzzled. "Monique, what are you talking about?"

Monique looked up at her friend, as well as glancing side to side. "Kim, you can't tell anyone, not even Ron."

Kim crossed her heart. "Promise. Now what's going on?"

Monique sighed. "Girl, I'm in serious trouble here. I've got a crush on a thirteen-year-old."

Kim blinked. "What? Why?"

The young woman shook her head. "I.D.K. I mean, I guess it has something to do with how much he's been there for me this past year or so, particularly these past few months. I mean, part of it has to do with him being a lot closer to my age than my brother, so I feel like I can talk to him a lot easier than I can to Jamal. The other thing is he's not my brother, so I can tell him things that I couldn't otherwise talk about."

Kim smiled, fully understanding. "Monique, I get where you're coming from on this, but you do realize he doesn't even have a driver's license yet, right?"

Monique nodded. "I know Kim. That's part of the reason I never applied to Middleton College like Jamal suggested a hundred times, because I knew I couldn't stay in Middleton or it would get worse. I've known ever since me and Brick Flagg stopped seeing each other that there was something between me and Wade, but I kept brushing it off as just being good friends. Then, after that whole mess around Valentine's, it felt a lot stronger, but I passed that off as a side effect of his Cupid Ray. Now though, these past few months, I can't seem to stop thinking about him. I've even had dreams about him."

Kim couldn't keep the shocked look off her face. "Monique, have you said anything about this to Wade or Jamal?"

Monique shook her head nervously. "No. I couldn't. You're the first one I've said anything about it to."

Kim breathed out a sigh of relief. "Well, I think it's safe to say that you can't mention it to Wade. But I really think you need to talk to your brother about this. He might be able to head off any situations that pop up while you're staying at Wade's house."

Monique nodded. "Thanks, girl. And remember, not a word to Ron. You know your man doesn't have the tightest lips on the planet."

Kim laughed. "Why do you think I've never taken him with me to go shopping for certain things? Things that will be for his eyes only?"

The two girls giggled as they ran to catch up with the rest of the group.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the heart of Italy, a black helicopter landed. The occupants quickly disembarked and headed into a non-descript warehouse. The moment they were all inside, the floor they were standing on began to slide down into the earth. As it descended, one of their number turned to the one who was apparently the leader of the rest. When he spoke, his voice was thick with Russian accent, and his dark mustache twitched menacingly.

"Not that I don't appreciate the help in escaping from that prison, but why exactly are you guys helping me?"

"Not really sure," the man replied. "We were just following orders. For some reason, the Boss has taken a real liking to you, and wanted us to bring you around for an interview."

The first man let his mustache twitch a few more times. "So then who are you?"

The second smiled. "You will know soon enough," he replied, then said no more the rest of the way down.

The minute the lift touched down, the mustachioed man would have sworn he was in a Global Justice facility except for one noticeable difference: instead of the standard navy blue, every single person in the room was wearing a uniform of magenta and white. Most had a Greek letter on their chest; the ones that didn't were all doing menial and unimportant tasks. All of them, however, were wearing hoods with goggles on them, much like henchmen normally did.

"Ahh, my guest has arrived," came a relaxed yet cold voice. "Come, please sit."

The mustachioed man stayed standing. "Sorry, but I've heard what happens when you ask someone to take a seat, Gemini."

The short, stocky leader of the Worldwide Evil Empire stepped forward out of the shadows. An eye patch covered his left eye, and cradled in his left arm, as always, was his hyper-sensitive Chihuahua Pepé. His right hand he kept behind him.

"And I know of you, Ivan Gerhardt. Or should I say, my new Agent Alpha," he added with an evil grin.

Gerhardt sneered, his Russian accent coming into full force. "And why would I agree to that, Sheldon?"

Gemini faked a smile. "Ahh, we have a comedian in our midst. But do not be too hasty my friend. For you see, becoming Agent Alpha has its advantages. For example, it will give you the opportunity to get revenge on my younger sister. It will also enable you to assist in the revenge against Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable."

With that, Gemini whirled around and pointed his bionic right hand at a pair of dummies dressed to look like the teens. Instantly a missile fired from each of his five fingertips at the two targets, completely obliterating them.

"So, what do you say, Agent Alpha?"

Gerhardt's mustache began twitching wildly, and his eyes became beady orbs.

"Where do I sign up?"

* * *

a/n

Yep, I'm back with a whole new adventure for Team Possible! As always, reviews and comments are more than welcome-they're highly encouraged. :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Chapter 2 is up and running!

So, good news, I can work on this thing during downtime at work. Which means that hopefully I'll be able to keep to my "chapter/5 days" pretty easily, but we'll see. Anyways, on to the story.

Kim finds herself in a compromising situation, and while getting out of it learns something special.

Then Wade calls in with a mission concerning a certain little annoying device. And while retrieving the device, Team Possible meets up with an old enemy who's changed since the last time they'd met.

Andy Lipsky (the former Dr. Drakken) comes to a startling revelation with a little help from some unexpected sources.

Kim and Ron go shopping for some "essential" college supplies.

Team Possible is honored for everything they've done.

And finally, Kim has a surprise for Ron, one he's certainly not expecting.

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"So, what do you say, Agent Alpha?"

Gerhardt's mustache began twitching wildly, and his eyes became beady orbs.

"Where do I sign up?"

* * *

The morning sun of August 2nd was just beginning to shine through the living room window in the Stoppable household. Kim squinted as her eyes adjusted to the glare that was hitting her right in the face. At first, she was smiling, feeling Ron cuddled up against her back. But then she her eyes shot open and a frown creased her features. She cautiously raised her head, hoping against hope that she hadn't done what she was afraid she had. Unfortunately, she had.

It had been _very _late when she and Ron had returned from the group outing with their friends, and rather than parting immediately, they'd stayed on the couch and had a nice, long make-out session. Then, Ron had pulled the hide-a-bed out of the sofa, and they had intended to say goodnight after a short goodnight kiss, with Kim then heading into her room. However, the short kiss had turned into another steamy make-out, with them both sinking onto the bed. Before they knew it, they were both passed out and fast asleep, wrapped in each other's arms

Now, as she rose, she made a quick glance over to the dining room, where her dad had taken to reading the morning paper every morning since they'd moved in with Ron's family. Thankfully, he wasn't there, but there was no way for her to know if he'd seen her already. Quietly, she slipped out from under the sheet Ron had covered them with, for the moment extremely grateful she was still fully dressed in the clothes she'd worn the night before. Ron reacted a little in his sleep, but soon turned over and settled back into his dreams. Employing all the stealth skills she could manage, Kim began slinking towards her room, carrying her shoes. She had just gotten to the door and reached for the doorknob when she heard something she didn't expect.

"Mmmm, KP, that feels reeeeaaaally good."

Kim bit down lightly on the inside of her lips to keep from giggling and breaking into a huge grin, but couldn't stop the small little smile that tickled the edges of her mouth from emerging. Slowly she turned her head and snuck a glance at him, smiling as he snuggled his face into his pillow. Kim was very inclined to wait and see if he'd say anything else about his obviously enjoyable dream, but she knew that waiting longer would be tempting fate, especially if her dad kept to his normal morning schedule. Quietly, she opened the door to her room and slipped inside, shutting it ever so gently and leaning her back against it with a contented sigh. It sent warm shivers all throughout her heart and body to know that Ron was dreaming about her, especially if it was in the way she suspected.

Not even thirty seconds later she heard her dad coming down the stairs. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and threw on her pajamas, jumping into bed and pulling the covers up over her shoulder just barely seconds before her door was quietly opened. She immediately shut her eyes almost all the way, keeping them open just enough that it didn't look like they were open. She saw her dad come around to the side she was facing and sit softly on the foot of the bed, gazing softly at her, a small little smile on his face. She was tempted to fake a wake-up at that moment, but right at that second she heard a Kimmunicator go off. Or rather, she heard two, and both rings were coming from the living room. She cringed slightly, realizing she normally took off her wrist version of the device wherever she happened to fall asleep, and that her dad had probably realized this little tidbit about her long ago. And based on where it was going off from, that meant she had left it in the living room next to where Ron was sleeping.

She watched with bated breath as her dad glanced at the door from her room into the living room, hoping he didn't put two and two together. He leaned forward, and she just knew she was sooooo busted. He reached over to gently shake her.

"Kimmie-cub. Honey, wake up," he said softly.

She forced a yawn. "Hi, Daddy. What time is it?"

James smiled at his daughter. "Somewhere around 6:00 in the morning. Your Kimmunicator's going off, honey."

Kim yawned again as she stretched. "Thanks Daddy."

She reached over to the nightstand where she normally kept the watch-like device, hoping she could convince her dad with a ruse. He merely smiled at her.

"I think you left it in the living room, Kimmie-cub. Either that, or it's the Ronnunicator going off."

Around a week before they graduated from Middleton, Kim had asked Wade to construct a contact device similar to her Kimmunicator for Ron. The original reason had been in case they ended up going to separate colleges, so that they wouldn't waste time with coordinating pick-ups from their various rides. However, the Lorwardian invasion had pushed the project to the back burner, and it hadn't been ready until a week before her birthday. In fact, Wade had presented Ron with the new "Ronnunicator" the night before they had their big interview with Heather Tyler of Channel 6 Middleton News. That had also been the night that Wade revealed the new "TP" logo, which worked out perfectly since the interview was the official announcement that it was no longer "Kim Possible and her sidekicks" but instead would be "Team Possible."

Kim smiled. "Ron refuses to call it that. Says they'll always be Kimmunicators to him."

Her father smiled. "Either way, I think you'd better go answer it, honey. Last time you didn't answer that thing quickly Wade had the police practically knocking down the door."

Kim cringed, remembering the incident. It was the main reason she had taken to keeping the device near her at all times, even when she slept. Less than a year after he gave her the original device, Wade had called her to report a small-time mission less than a mile from her home. The Kimmunicator had been sitting in its charging dock upstairs in her room; unfortunately, she was downstairs in the living room watching a movie with her family, and hadn't heard it going off. The next thing the Possibles knew, there was a loud banging on the front door. Her father had opened the door to find a full squad of police officers and SWAT members fully armed and ready. The whole thing had been passed off pretty easily, but it still left a pretty good impression on everyone involved. The teasing Kim had endured from the Tweebs had lasted for weeks before her father finally threatened to ground them if they said one more word about the incident.

Kim smiled and slid out from under the covers. She quickly headed out into the living room, snagged her aqua blue Kimmunicator, and pressed the activation button. As she did so, Ron rose sleepily up and pressed the same button on his red one, yawning as he did so.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked with a serious look.

"Trouble once again with your favorite device," he replied wryly.

"The Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer again?" complained Ron with another yawn.

"Who is it this time, Wade?" Kim asked with an annoyed edge to her voice.

So far, the device had been stolen by both Drakken and Dementor, but they knew that neither one could be after the troublesome invention this particular time. Drakken and Shego had reformed with the help of the last Reverse Polarizer earlier that summer, and Dementor was supposedly holed up in his lab deep in the Austrian mountains, supposedly making more modifications to Kim's original battle suit which he had stolen shortly after her house was destroyed by the Lorwardians.

"No information on who did it this time, Kim. The scientists at the research facility were only able to tell me that it was someone they'd never met before. And whoever it was knocked out the regular cameras."

"What about the security bug you has us plant last time?" replied Kim with a smug smile. After dealing with the annoying little cylinder twice in less than three years, they'd planted a microscopic spy cam when they'd returned it the last time.

"Hey, good call, Kim. Hold on just a sec, I'll pull up the feed." After a bit he turned back towards the camera. "Well, it looks like we do know this group. All the henchmen were dressed in black, but there is a noticeable voice commanding them."

He pressed a button on his keyboard, and a voice started playing back.

"Watch where you swing that, you idiots," the voice called in an unnaturally high male pitch.

"Falsetto Jones," said Ron with a sigh.

"Guess he's stepped up his game," Kim replied. "Any ideas where our helium-voiced foe is currently located?"

Wade smiled. "Still at his original place of operations at his private estate on the Lithuanian coast. I'll set up a ride for you guys."

Kim smiled. "Please and thank you."

The screen blinked off, and she turned towards her blonde-haired partner, who had already lain back down and pulled the covers back up around his shoulders.

"C'mon Ron, we've got mission work to do," she said as she tugged playfully at the sheets.

"A few more minutes," he replied dreamily.

_Fine,_ thought Kim with a smile. She headed into the kitchen just as her father came back in the front door from grabbing the morning paper. He took one look at his daughter and snickered to himself, knowing full well what she had in mind. She came out a few minutes later carrying a familiar object.

"Last chance, Ron. Up and at 'em," she prodded, her smile of knowing becoming steadily more sly.

Ron still refused to budge, so she upended the container, showering his head with ice water! Ron coughed and sputtered, rising up rather quickly and wiping the cold moisture from his face.

"Kim!" he complained.

"Well, I warned you. Now come on, get up and get ready. If Wade's anything like his normal self, our ride will be here in ten minutes."

"You did not," he whined.

James laughed. "Actually, she did Ronald."

"Yeah, but only once," Ron grumped.

Kim smiled. "Sorry, Ronnie, but when it comes to something like this you know you only get one warning."

Ron was about to let out another complaint when he noticed that his red-headed fiancée still had half a pitcher ready and waiting, the look on her face telling him in no uncertain terms that she was ready and willing to use it if she needed to. He quickly smiled and pulled the covers off, heading for his room to grab his mission wear. Kim returned the pitcher to the kitchen before heading back to her own bedroom to do the same. She was ready inside of two minutes and was back out in the living room, using a towel to dry off the hide-a-bed.

A few minutes later, Ron came down the stairs, the sleeves of his blue mission shirt rolled up slightly and pulling on his black gloves. Both were part of an all-new mission outfit that Monique had designed for him shortly before Team Possible had taken off on the Drakken Shego Personality Switch mission earlier that summer. Personally, Kim thought her BFF had done an excellent job, especially since the outfit accented her partner in all the right places, showing off his muscles and features in a very nice way. Ron would never be the ripped muscle-head, but he'd definitely gained some serious definition, a fact that Kim was finding she liked more and more. It was if karma was rewarding her for picking him back when he was still the gangly outcast.

"Rawr," she commented as he flexed his arm, trying to get the shirt to settle down just a bit more comfortably. "When did my fiancé become such a hottie?"

Ron glanced nervously towards the dining room where James was reading his paper. The older man had let the top of his paper fall just a bit, and was eyeing the young man with a raised eyebrow. What Ron didn't see was the smile James was carefully hiding behind his strategic folding-down of the paper.

"Uh, KP, your dad is right there."

Kim smiled and cocked her head to the side a little. "So? He knows what I think of my man."

Ron thanked the heavens that a whirr from outside announced their ride arriving at that exact moment. They headed out the door, and found a pair of ropes hanging down from seemingly nothing.

"Uh, Wade?" Kim asked her Kimmunicator.

"Experimental jet," the tech genius replied. "It was the closest thing that was ready for pickup and could leave immediately. Just attach the safety harnesses and they'll pull you guys up. Oh, and hold on tight, cause they're also testing a new retrieval system."

"What do you mean by THAAAAAAT?" Ron asked as they were instantly whisked upwards in less than a second.

"Team Possible, welcome aboard the experimental XM-99 Rescue Jet," a man told them as soon as they were aboard.

Kim smiled as she recognized the man and his partner. "Agent Smith and Agent Smith. Thanks for the ride."

"Don't mention it, Miss Possible. It's the least we could do after that classified rescue," Smith 2 replied.

Ron smiled. "Right, the Area Fifty…"

Smith 1 quickly interrupted. "No, we meant don't mention it. It's classified."

"Right," Kim replied curtly with a knowing look at her fiancé. Then she turned back towards the agents. "So how long will it take to get to Falsetto's estate in this thing?"

"Classified," the agents responded.

"Well, this is going to be a fun trip," Ron quipped.

* * *

Andy Lipsky awoke with a start and sat up with a jolt. It took him a minute to get his bearings, but when he did he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. This wasn't his normal Caribbean lair, and it certainly wasn't decorated as he would have decorated. There were pictures all over the walls of various teen idols that had been popular seven or eight years ago. The room was also decorated in a rainbow of greens. Gulping, he cautiously felt around him, and nearly jumped out of his blue skin when he realized he wasn't alone. Slowly, nervously, he peeled the covers back, revealing the last person he expected. There in the bed next to him was Shego, wearing barely anything and fast asleep.

_No, not Shego_, he berated himself. _Not right now, anyway_.

Just like he'd given up the mantle of Dr. Drakken, she'd cast aside that name when they'd gone through that personality switch this past June. Unlike him, though, she might eventually pick it back up if she decided to rejoin her brothers on Team Go. Right now, however, she preferred to be known just by her real name, Sheila Godfrey. He also realized that whereas Shego would probably blast him out of the bed as soon as she woke up, Sheila was there by choice. He visibly relaxed and smiled, watching her sleep calmly with a contented smile on her face. It still struck him as odd to think about how they'd gotten to this point.

During the Lorwardian invasion, she'd come looking for him with the buffoon…correction, with Ron Stoppable…who was himself looking for Kim. As soon as they'd seen each other, they'd nearly run into each other's arms, just as the two teens did. But she stopped short, and he'd taken his cue and done the same. Then, when Warmonga and Warhok confronted her about it, she'd vehemently denied it, although he'd noticed how flimsy the excuse she gave was. When they'd returned to the battle with his plant potion, she'd been super confident as she introduced him, something she rarely did. At the U.N. ceremony where he'd received his medal, he'd wanted to share the spotlight with her, but couldn't make himself swallow his nervousness and do it. So the flower vine that now perpetually grew out of his neck had done it for him, snagging her around the waist and bringing them close together—and she hadn't pushed away.

They'd later found out that their actions in response to the alien attack had caused Global Justice to downgrade their threat level to the point that Team Possible would no longer be popping in on them unannounced. Heading back to the lair, he'd taken the thought of the newfound freedom seriously and asked out his longtime employee, and for reasons he would never fully understand, she'd accepted. The night that followed had been one of the most romantic nights of his life, culminating in a very personal first for him back in her bedroom. He smiled as he looked down at her sleeping form, particularly at her slightly expanded stomach. Thanks to that very special night, the woman he held so dearly to his heart was now carrying his children.

Wait…held so dearly to his heart? Was that really all he felt towards her? Looking at the contented smile on that lovely mint-green face, Andy turned the question over and over in his mind. Their relationship before the invasion had always been rocky at best, a major annoyance at worst, and simply something of convenience the rest of the time. Even the time she acted completely infatuated with him, when she got that little disc stuck on her neck, had scared him more than anything else—even if that had been the first time he began to look at her as the beautiful woman she was. He also considered deeply what Stoppable had said to him that summer.

_ Don't try to impress her with who you are and what you can do, just be yourself. Either she's going to like it or she won't. Do your best to make her happy no matter what, and I guarantee you will do exactly that._

And he did want to make her happy, more than anything. Did that also mean he loved her more than anything? And more importantly, did she love him in return? He knew there was only one real way to find out, but the idea scared him deeply. It was even more frightening than the inevitable visit he knew he was eventually going to have to make to tell his mother she was going to be a grandmother. Sighing, he slowly extricated himself from the bed, put on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers, and quietly exited the room, heading for the elevator in the center of the residential floor. Nearly a month they'd been staying at the Go Tower, the headquarters of Sheila's brothers in their superhero identities as Team Go, and in all that time he'd so far found only one place he could truly go and relax apart from her. And surprisingly, it was the last place in this building that he'd expected to find some mental piece.

Taking a deep breath as he stepped out of the elevator, he found himself in the workout room. He'd hoped to find some early morning solitude, but predictably that wasn't the case. Her older brother Hector, better known as Hego, was working out his super strength by lifting a Volkswagen bug in each hand. He smiled as the blue-skinned man walked in.

"Morning, Andy. Sleep well?"

"Oh, sure, Hector," Andy replied sarcastically. "That's the reason I'm up at 4:00 AM in the morning when I prefer to sleep until 9:00."

"So then what's the problem?" the blue-toned superhero asked without missing a rep with his cars.

Andy casually walked over to the workout bag and began a sort of boxing routine. "I don't know. I guess I'm getting kind of confused about how I feel about your sister."

Hego nodded. "I've noticed a tension between you two the past week or so? Care to explain it?"

Andy continued to work the bag, getting into a sort of rhythm. "I've said from the beginning that I want to take care of her and the kids. But lately, I'm not sure if I'd be happy with that."

"Go on," her brother replied, though Andy noticed the reps Hego was doing were no longer calm and steady.

"I don't mean it like that. I'm just not sure I'm going to be happy being just a caretaker for her. I think I'm starting to want more."

The car lifts returned to their normal, relaxed pace. "Ah, I understand. You want to make sure she's completely taken care of."

"Not exactly," Andy replied, his workout starting to get somewhat more focused on a single spot, as if each word was a typewriter punch and the bag was the page. "Have you ever seen the way that Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable act around each other?"

Hego nodded. "I would have to say a definite yes to that. It made her quite formidable against The Mathter." Then Hego got a grin. "Ah, I see. You want Sis to look at you the way Kim looks at Ron."

Andy sighed, adding a few kicks to his routine. "Yes, but I'm worried what will happen if I try to talk to Sheila about that. Plus, I don't want to hurt her if it doesn't work out."

Hego set down one VW and started doing curls over his head with the other. "Andy, I want you to try something. I'm going to say a word, and I want you to say the first thing that pops into your head. No thinking, just whatever pops in, even if it sounds completely ridiculous. Deal?"

"Deal," the blue-skinned man replied.

"Alright. Apple."

"Orange."

"Ocean."

"Salt."

"Hero."

"Kim Possible."

"Annoyance."

"Mego."

A chuckle escaped Hego's lips. "Red."

"Roses."

"Stress."

"My twins."

"Love."

"Sheila."

As soon as the word left his mouth, Andy stopped himself mid-punch. He didn't even notice when the workout bag swung back and struck him hard in the chest and face, leaving a slight mark on both. Hego merely smiled at him.

"I think you have your answer, Andy. Now the question is: what are you going to do with that knowledge?"

* * *

The drop over Falsetto Jones's private estate on the cliffs of the Lithuanian coastline came about unexpectedly fast. It seemed to Kim and Ron that they had just barely taken off when they were already at the jump point. The freefall was exhilarating, even for Ron, who had come to enjoy these kinds of things as long as Kim was close by his side. It probably helped that they were using jetpacks as opposed to parachutes, so he didn't have to time pulling his rip cord just right.

The descent over the estate was done quickly and quietly, using their sonic engines as opposed to the jet ones. Wade had installed the sonic versions on the packs shortly after the Adrena Lynn fight so the teens could apply more stealth in their approaches. The only downside was that the landings weren't nearly as gentle. Kim of course still managed to execute a perfect landing, but Ron had to add in a few unsteady hops before he was safely on solid footing. They quickly stowed the packs in the shadows between a pair of ventilation shafts, intending to use them again once they retrieved the PDVI. Quickly, they made their way to the edge of the roof they had landed on and peered over the side.

"Looks like Jones has added extra security this time," commented Ron as they noticed nearly double the number of guards as the time they'd retrieved the Kimber Diamond from the clutches of the master thief.

"Probably doesn't help that there's not a dog show this time to distract them," replied Kim.

At that moment, Falsetto appeared, flanked by two of his guards. It was then that Kim noticed something.

"Hey Ron, is it just me or is there something missing from this picture?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Hey yeah. Where are his prized Lithuanian Wolfhounds? I don't even hear them barking."

"Shhh," replied Kim as she motioned towards the middle of the courtyard where Jones was heading, which was thankfully right beside the building they were perched on.

There in the shadows of one of the statues was a short figure surrounded by three much larger cloaked ones. But neither Kim nor Ron were close enough to make out who they were. However, they were close enough to hear Falsetto's high-pitched voice.

"I've done my part, and here's the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer. Now return my prized Wolfhounds."

"Not yet," the short figure replied in a voice that Kim and Ron both recognized, but that neither one could place. "First, I have to make sure you brought me the real thing. I know this thing has been stolen before, and that means extra security."

"And what if I did bring you a fake?" Falsetto challenged.

"Then your precious babies will become my newest Cuddle Buddies. Maybe I'll mix them with walruses or penguins or something like that, something to make them extra cute."

Kim and Ron looked at each other in shock as the woman stepped out of the shadows and revealed her identity. There was no denying the round, bug-eyed glasses, the pink shirt with the Otterfly, or the sappy little grin. D.N. Amy hadn't changed that much. Well, if you considered the last time the teens had tangled with her, that wasn't entirely true…

"Didn't she have gorilla arms and feet the last time we saw her?" Ron asked in amazement.

"I wonder why she changed back," Kim agreed. "Better question: what does she want with the PDVI?"

"I know," replied Ron. "I don't see how that could help with her weird animal combinations."

Regardless, the teens decided they'd waited long enough. They quickly jumped down off the roof, landing near the edge of the courtyard, just as Falsetto handed over the PVDI to the cheery woman.

"Hold it right there, you two," Kim declared.

"Oh, Kim Possible, you always try to spoil my fun!" the hyper-perky rogue geneticist complained in her squeaky voice. "Orangupi, protect Mumsie, please."

"Orangupi?" Kim said puzzled.

She got her answer a moment later, as the three covered figures removed their cloaks, revealing a sight that almost made Ron sick. They weren't human, but genetically enlarged orangutans. Or rather, they had been once—now they all had six arms, which were now flailing about wildly as they charged Team Possible!

"Yep," D.N. Amy replied with a grin. "I combined orangutans and octopi to get them. One would be an Orangupus, but more than one and they become Orangupi. Now attack, my babies."

"Ron, grab-and-go! Now!" Kim yelled as she ducked a furious swipe from one of the beasts.

Ron nodded as he rolled under the arms of another, firing his Kimmunicator grapple directly at the PDVI. It connected, and the young man yanked the device out of Amy's hands. Ron immediately pressed the recoil button, and the cylinder flew into his hands. Before anyone could blink, both teens fired their wrist grapples for the roof and shot upwards. The three Orangupusses tried to follow, but they were slowed as there didn't appear to be anywhere on the side of the building for them to grab onto.

"Oooo, you nasty Kim Possible. Why must you always spoil my fun?" D.N. Amy screeched.

Kim couldn't resist a dig. "Actually, it was Ron who spoiled your fun this time. And by the way, Amy, we're Team Possible now."

"Kim! Escape now, verbal jabs later!" Ron exclaimed as he grabbed her arm began pulling her away from the edge.

At that moment, a large, hairy hand slapped down on the top of the roof, followed quickly by five more. Somehow, one Orangupus had figured out how to climb up the side of the building. Its two companions soon followed, and Ron began basically dragging Kim towards their stashed jet packs. They quickly slipped them on and activated them, this time using the jet engines to quickly put themselves out of reach of the monstrosities who were trying to grab them. They hovered out over the courtyard a bit, giving the jets time to warm up before they took off. Kim looked down at the fuming D.N. Amy and the furious Falsetto Jones.

"See!" Falsetto yelled as he pointed at the teens. "Kim Possible wouldn't have come after it if I'd brought you a fake! Now give me back my Wolfhounds!"

"I said you had to place it in my hands," the geneticist replied. "Which it only was for two seconds."

"You know, technically he fulfilled his part of your deal," Ron joked as he hovered above them. Being safely out of reach of the rogue scientist's six-armed apes had evidently alleviated his fear of them.

"Catch you two later," Kim said with a wave as the two of them streaked off into the sky, heading for the point where they would rendezvous with their ride back home.

**…  
…**

"And this time, try to keep it locked up tight," Kim said as she handed the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer back to the scientists.

"Thank you again, Team Possible," the lead scientist replied as he graciously accepted the cylinder.

As they walked outside to their waiting transport, Ron nudged his girlfriend. "How long do you think it'll stay safe this time?"

Kim sighed. "I give it six months at most. You know, one of these times I may drop it from a high building after we retrieve it, just so we don't have to worry about it anymore."

Ron smiled and wrapped his arm comfortingly around her. "Yeah, but that would be completely out of character for you, KP."

Kim smiled, but then frowned. "Speaking of out of character, I wonder what D.N. Amy wanted with the PDVI. It doesn't seem like she'd have any use for it."

"Who knows, KP. Who knows."

* * *

A few days passed, and still there was no answer to the mystery of why the rogue geneticist had wanted to get her hands on the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer. Wade was going through every lead he could get his hands on, but so far, nothing had come up. He'd even contacted the reformed Andy Lipsky, but still nothing. It was a real puzzler that had every member of Team Possible experiencing the brain pain.

However, that wasn't all there was to focus on. Kim and Ron each had to start packing for the move to G.V.U., as well as starting to coordinate with their respective roommates, Monique and Felix, about what each was bringing with them. Kim was feeling crummy that she didn't have much to contribute, but Monique was in a similar boat and completely understood. Felix of course would be bringing his 36-inch plasma and DVD player to the guys' room, so Ron offered to let Kim use his 18-inch TV/VCR combo in the girls' room. Kim was about to agree when her mom suggested that maybe Kim could use a little of her Bueno Nacho money to get a few things for the girls to use. Monique was hesitant about the idea, claiming it was Kim's money, but the red-head used the exact same argument to convince her BFF that they should do exactly that. So it was that they found themselves at Premium Purchase electronics superstore with just over two weeks to go until the big move.

"Ron, I'm not buying a 56-inch HD plasma TV for a dorm room," she chided her boyfriend. "Besides, it's mine and Monique's room."

"But Kim, look at this picture," he said as marveled at a set that was looping a show of _The Fearless Ferret_. "You can see the definition of every single one of Wonder Weasel's whiskers."

"She's right, Ron," agreed Monique. "That TV is W.T.G. for us."

"Glitz aside," Kim added, "there's no way I'm spending $3000 on a TV that might get replaced in less than four years. Plus, I don't like showing off the money, Ron, you know that."

Other than the time on her birthday when she'd tried to put Bonnie in her place, Kim had told relatively few people about the royalty payments she and Ron were now receiving from the Tex-Mex eatery. It was almost as if she were slightly ashamed of it, but she had expressed in no uncertain terms that how she felt about having it had absolutely nothing to do with why she didn't like to let people know she now had major means. It had more to do with what she had seen happen to Ron, or rather the people around Ron.

"I just don't want to attract people who are only interested in me because I have money," she stated matter-of-factly. "And buying and then showing up at college with an expensive television will do exactly that."

Ron had to admit there was sound logic in that statement, but he still marveled at the wonder of the high end set. Kim saw the look in his eyes, and rolled her own.

"And you and Felix will do just fine with his 36-inch plasma. Besides, we're going to college to learn, not veg out in front of the TV and play videogames until our eyes bleed."

The matter was settled, and Kim picked out a still very nice 32-inch plasma. Besides being just a tad smaller than Felix's, it also didn't boast the digital surround-sound speakers that the young man's TV possessed. That was mainly because, unlike Ron, Kim figured it wasn't necessary to hear something simple like the weather in full stadium sound.

However, even Kim couldn't stop Ron from replacing his old boom box CD player with a nice new stereo, especially since it contained a state-of-the-art CD-writer that he swore he was going to use for recipe memorization. Kim had a feeling that wasn't all her sandy-haired boyfriend was going to use it for, but she couldn't begrudge him using some of his own BN money to get something he really wanted. After all, one of the first things she'd done after getting hers was to go out and replace the computer she'd lost in her house's destruction, and she certainly got more than the college guidelines called for. Of course, after Wade got done with further upgrades, her new laptop could almost be considered NASA-grade technology, but that was beside the point.

_Beep, Beep, Be-Deep._

Kim smiled as she pressed the button on her Kimmunicator. "What's the sitch Wade? Got anything on D.N. Amy and the PDVI?"

Wade shook his head. "Sorry, Kim, but no luck on that so far. However, we did get a hit on the site that you and Ron might both be very interested in."

"Oh?" she said with a bit of surprise.

Hearing his name, Ron switched on his own Kimmunicator. "What's up?"

Wade smiled. "Remember that photo that June and Xander showed you that helped prove that what they said was true? Well, the event that happened at might be coming up pretty soon."

Kim shook her head. "Okay, Wade, connecting the dots a little too fast here."

Wade grinned. "The Mayor of Middleton has invited all of Team Possible to the unveiling of a statue dedicated to the four of us. He also said there'll be a VIP section, and that we get to choose who enters and who doesn't."

Kim smiled. "So when does this little party happen?"

Wade glanced at another of his computer screens. "Says the 18th, right before you guys head off to G.V.U."

Ron's face fell. "Aww, man, I probably won't get to go. Coach Devereaux wants me to start practicing with the team on the 14th."

Thanks in large part to Coach Steve Barkin's _encouragement_ (read prodding and insisting), Ron had decided to join the Guardians football team as a freshman running back. Since then Ron, and Kim on a few occasions, had already met several times with the team's firecracker of a head coach, William Devereaux. The old man really put truth to the saying that "old tigers sensing the end are at their most fierce," because he was the most bull-minded and lively person the two had ever met, even more so than Señor Senior, Sr., Nanny Nane, and Nana Possible combined. He was known for taking chances when most would punt, and had many times been called the most brilliant football strategist the game had ever seen. Unfortunately, he somehow always seemed to fall short of his goal of a championship. Despite that, he never blamed his players, always taking the brunt of the responsibility on himself. Ron knew this was a man he would very much enjoy playing for.

Wade smiled. "Actually, Ron, Devereaux heard about this and told me to pass on that he's cutting practice short that day so that he and the rest of the team can be there at the presentation, so you'd better be too. He also told me to tell you that if you're not there, he'll have you running bleachers and wind sprints until you're begging to go up against a super-villain."

Ron gulped. "Umm…guess we're going, then."

Kim and Monique both giggled.

"Sounds like Kim's not the only one who knows how to GYHITG," quipped Monique.

Ron was amazed that he actually understood one of the young woman's longer acronyms. "Hey, my head is in the game," he said defensively, eyeing his fiancée's BFF with a friendly glare.

However, the glare soon dissolved into a fit of laughter, helped along by a certain red-head grabbing a certain part of a certain blonde's anatomy that was covered by back pockets, causing the young man to blush redder than his girlfriend's hair, a sight that split the sides of both young women. The reason for their laughs was that for perhaps the first time in history, Kim Possible had actually done the impossible: she'd gotten Ron Stoppable to full-out blush!

* * *

A couple weeks later, Kim picked Ron up from the G.V.U. field house after the morning's practice session. Of course, one of the first things she did was have him put his overly ripe uniform in a special compartment the Tweebs had installed in the trunk specifically for smelly cargo. She also held him back a minute and eyed him suspiciously.

"Okay, Ron, what are the two rules before you proceed further?"

Ron sighed. "Rule One: Must have taken complete and full shower before leaving field house. Rule Two: Must have used plenty of deodorant before leaving field house."

"And?" she said as she eyed him with a head-tilted stare.

Ron smiled. "Trust me, KP: you wouldn't be able to be this close if I hadn't. I only thought Barkin knew how to run people into the ground. Coach D. knows how to run you into the ground, bury you, force you to dig your way out, and then run you into the ground again. I'm just glad today was only a half-day practice; otherwise I wouldn't be able to move at the presentation this afternoon. Speaking of which, what are you wearing to this thing?"

Kim smiled as she kissed him. "I'm wearing the same thing you are, Ronnie."

Ron gave her a glance that was reminiscent of the numerous times she'd tried unsuccessfully to explain the "bad boy" attraction factor of the character Danny on the TV show _Agony County_, causing her to break into a giggle.

"Uh, KP, won't that be a little awkward?"

"No silly," she said with a grin. "Mayor Bennett wants us to wear our mission gear to this thing. So I'm wearing my purple one, and you're wearing your blue one. So in essence we're wearing the same thing."

**…  
…**

Later that afternoon in the center of Middleton Park, Team Possible sat on a stage in seats of honor surrounded by cameras and adoring friends, family, and fans. Mayor Bennett stood at a podium between them and a large covered statue and was giving a speech.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, every so often a person comes along who makes the world better simply by being a part of it. These types of people are rare indeed, but rarer still is the person who not only makes the world better by living, but does so by doing what they can to make sure that it will be a better place than when they came. Knowing this, we here in the proud city of Middleton, in the great state of Colorado, can say we are truly blessed. For you see, my friends, we have the privilege of having not one, not two, but three extraordinary people who call this community home. Four, if you count the incredible fourth member of this team as human, and by Jove, I say that he should be considered an honorary human, for like these three, he constantly does whatever he can to make this world a better place. Incredibly, this tradition can only continue, for these people are members of our younger generation. And I ask you honestly: can the world look any brighter than it does being carried on the strong character and excellent moral fiber of these fine young people. At this time, I would like to dedicate this monument to three incredible people and one incredible animal. I hereby present, in honor of Kim, Ron, Wade, and Rufus, the Team Possible fountain and statue! Because Anything Is Possible!"

With that, he pressed a button on a remote, and every flashbulb began going off, revealing a startling golden bronze life-size likeness of the team. Kim stood proud with hands on her hips in her original mission outfit, and Ron held a similar posture on her left side, also wearing his original mission clothes. On Ron's right shoulder stood a proud, ready, and alert Rufus with his right paw extended in a thumbs up. And behind all three of them was a huge golden bronze replica of the original Kimmunicator, with Wade's life-size face clearly visible on the screen. All four had determined smiles on their faces. At their feet, built into the flawless white stone, was a bronze and shadowed plaque that read:

_TEAM POSSIBLE:_

_Kimberly Anne Possible  
Ronald Eugene Stoppable  
Wade Samuel Load  
Rufus the Naked Mole Rat_

"_WE CAN DO ANYTHING!"_

A thundering applause arose from the crowd as Mayor Bennett pressed another button, and a brilliant fountain display began shooting up, forming a beautiful liquid archway over and around the team's likenesses. Over on the stage, the real Team Possible was applauding as well. Kim actually had a tear in her eye, which she quickly wiped away. Ron nudged her, and she stood up and walked to the podium.

"Thank you, Mayor Bennett and City of Middleton, for this great honor. Five years ago, we started out with a simple mission, to help people. We have never asked for anything in return, yet we constantly receive the greatest honors of all: the honors of friendship and gratitude. Our greatest hope is that somewhere, in some way, someone will see what we do, and take it upon themselves to also take upon the simple yet gratifying task of helping those who need it. If we convince only one person to make the world better, then we will know that we have succeeded in what we set out to do. It is our wish that this fountain will inspire future generations to follow their dreams and aid those who need it, for that is the greatest mission that any of us can ever face. And truly, Anything is Possible. Thank you."

The applause resumed, and several of the members of the press began taking pictures and asking if Team Possible would stand next to the fountain. Several little kids also came forward asking for autographs, and Team Possible made sure that every single child that asked for autographs got the ones they asked for. They even surprised the kids with special "TP" logo lapel pins that Wade had had whipped up by a friend. Thankfully there were plenty of extras to go around. The dedication party itself lasted several hours, including a snack/buffet table in the VIP area. Even though it was called that, Kim, Ron, and Wade all insisted that it be open to everybody who wanted to partake. They even invited the members of the press to enter, just as long as no news cameras came with them.

The party probably would have gone on long into the night, but everyone seemed to realize that the teens had a busy few days ahead of them, so the festivities broke up around 9:00. However, as most of the people started to leave, they stopped and looked back at another pleasant surprise. Rather than take off like the rest, the members of Team Possible and their families and friends were assisting with the ensuing clean-up. The act had a domino effect, so that soon almost eighty percent of those who had attended the dedication and after party were helping with the trash pick-up and putting away the chairs and tables that had been used for the buffet. The result was that what would have been almost a three hour job for the tiny clean-up crew the city had organized shrank down to less than an hour and included the whole park. Kim, Ron, and Wade smiled at each other as the crowd let loose a cheer once the work was completed, a single thought going through all three brains.

_This is why we do it._

_

* * *

_

The next morning was a hectic one in the Stoppable house. Ron and Kim had packed most of their stuff in the Sloth and in his mom's SUV the night before, all except for a few boxes of Ron's that were stuck in the garage. For some reason, no one would let him in there to get them, particularly Kim. Finally, they were all packed, all except for those couple of boxes.

"Alright, KP, what's the deal? Why won't you or my parents let me in the garage?"

Kim got a mischievous smile and turned towards his dad. "Well, Mr. S., I don't think we can put it off any longer."

Gene Stoppable had a twinkling in his eye. "I think you're right, Kimberly. Okay, Ronald, you and Kim go out in front of the garage. There's something in there you need to see."

Ron scratched his head in confusion as his fiancée led him out the front door. "What's going on here?"

Kim smiled again. "Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

She leaned up and kissed him. "Ronnie, close your eyes. Please?" Just for added effect, she added a full-blown Puppy Dog Pout that made him go weak in the knees.

"Fine," he said with a smile as he did as she asked, even adding his hands over them for good measure. Kim checked it a few times, then turned and gave a thumbs-up to her father, who was peeking out of a living room window waiting for the signal. He signaled to Ron's mom, who pressed the button for the garage, causing it rise slowly up.

Ron heard the garage rising up, but kept his eyes closed and his hands over them until Kim pulled them down slowly and kissed him. As she pulled away, she whispered something he hadn't expected to hear for a few weeks yet.

"Happy Birthday!"

There, sitting in the garage where his mom's SUV normally sat, was a brand new black 2006 Eaglefyre Phoenix cruiser-style motorcycle with dual black leather seats. Along the back wheel on each side were brand new black leather bags for transporting things, and the chrome of the engine shone brilliantly even in the shade of the garage. It was truly a sight to behold.

"Badical," he breathed out slowly.

Gene Stoppable walked out of the garage and placed a set of shiny new keys in his son's hand. "Happy Birthday, Ronald. Your mother and I realize that your birthday's not for a few weeks, but this was actually Kimberly's idea, and well, we rather liked the notion of getting you something to replace your scooter. So she paid for part and we paid the rest."

"But a motorcycle," Ron let drip out of his mouth, still unable to believe this beautiful machine was his.

Kim smiled. "Ron, in all the five years you've had that scooter, you've never so much as gotten a scratch on it other than what our missions have put there, and you have got to be the safest driver in the world when it comes to these things. Let me let you in on a little secret: every time I rode on that thing's motorcycle, I was scared out of my wits, even though it rarely took the vehicle over thirty miles per hour. Yet even when my brothers' rockets took yours over one twenty that night, I never once felt even the slightest twinge of fear, because I trust you on this thing. And I know that no matter what, you'll be safe when it's just you and keep me safe when I'm with you."

"Don't forget these," added Anne as she handed them each a customized helmet. "And I'd better never see you on that thing without them. Your brains belong right where they are, in your heads."

Ron stared at the helmet that had been placed in his hands. It was bright blue with a fierce looking tribal-style monkey painted in black on each side. Despite the slight phobia of monkeys he still possessed, for some reason these didn't even make him bat an eyelash. Looking at the back, he saw _Ron Stoppable_ inscribed in gold letters just above the bottom of it. Looking over at Kim's helmet, he noticed the fiery, purple heart that began just above her eye shield and covered most of the helmet. He also saw with a smile the small black tribal-style monkeys just below where her ears would be, each one seeming to support a side of the heart. Then he looked at the back and frowned, for it only said _Kim_ on it.

"Looks like your last name is missing," he pointed out.

She merely smiled at him. "No, it's not. I had them leave it off because I don't want it to say Kim Possible when I become Kim Stoppable."

He grinned. "Boo Yeah," he declared just before kissing her.

As they pulled apart, she whispered with a sly grin, "And you've still got something else coming from me on your actual birthday, bad boy."

"Double Boo Yeah," he whispered back.

"Now, how about a ride to G.V.U.?" she asked as she slipped on the helmet.

"Sounds good to me," Ron replied.

Kim flipped the keys to the Sloth over to her dad who climbed in the driver's seat while Jim took the passenger seat. Her mom and Tim piled into the minivan, where they had loaded everything that wouldn't fit in the Sloth or the SUV, although that wasn't much. Ron's parents loaded Hana into Jean's SUV. Rufus, of course, opted to ride in the safety of the Sloth with Jim and Mr. Dr. P. The convoy was soon ready and taking off, Ron and Kim taking the lead on the Phoenix.

Shortly after they left town, a short, stocky man wearing what appeared to be an archaeologist's uniform arrived at the Stoppable house in a beat-up old car that was set-up European style with the steering wheel on the right side. He climbed out and glanced around, frustrated to find that he'd completely missed his intended quarry.

"Soon, milord, soon."

* * *

a/n

Alright, I realize that I gave Felix's van an actual brand name and model, but I couldn't find a motorcycle from 2006 that I liked, so I made that one up. Besides, this means I get to design if fully in my head. :)

As always, comments and reviews are always welcome and greatly appreciated. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

Chapter 3 is up and running!

And very good news: this chapter is being published from work! That means that I should have no trouble whatsoever keeping the updates coming. And now on to the story:

Kim and Ron make the move to G.V.U., and the process is anything but smooth.

Getting the necessary passes, going to the bookstore, finding the dorm, etc. - all the necessary evils of starting college.

Their arrival brings with it a few reactions, and some plans are made for the future of Team Possible, while getting checked in to their rooms proves a little difficult, with a few surprises along the way.

A recent enemy makes a few plans.

Moving in brings out some unexpected things, as well as a heart-to-heart between Kim and her mom.

Then a few more surprises are in store, and Kim makes a decision she's been putting off.

Finally, another foe takes some time for reflection and more planning.

Here's hoping Kim and Ron can handle this.

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"Now, how about a ride to G.V.U.?" she asked as she slipped on her helmet.

"Sounds good to me," Ron replied, putting his own on.

Kim flipped the keys to the Sloth over to her dad who climbed in the driver's seat while Jim took the passenger seat. Her mom and Tim piled into the minivan, where they had loaded everything that wouldn't fit in the Sloth or the SUV, although that wasn't much. Ron's parents loaded Hana into Jean's SUV. Rufus, of course, opted to ride in the safety of the Sloth with Jim and Mr. Dr. P. The convoy was soon ready and taking off, Ron and Kim taking the lead on the Phoenix.

Shortly after they left town, a short, stocky man wearing what appeared to be an archaeologist's uniform arrived in a beat-up old car that was set-up European style with the steering wheel on the right side. He climbed out and glanced around, frustrated to find that he'd completely missed his intended quarry.

"Soon, milord, soon."

* * *

The trip to Upperton only took around an hour and a half. Or at least, the trip to the far side of the city where the G.V.U. campus was took that long. The actual trip to the city of Upperton only took around forty-five minutes. One thing Kim and Ron both noticed about the ride up was that they weren't able to communicate very much at all, something they knew they'd have to remedy. It probably wouldn't take any time at all for Wade to whip up some sort of radio system that could be installed in the helmets allowing them to at the very least tell each other things. Of course, knowing them, they were probably still going to be using the Sloth for most of their outings, but it would still be nice to be able to engage in small talk while using the Phoenix.

Pulling up to the campus, it was readily obvious that it was move-in day for practically all students. The first stop was of course with Student Registration to pick up their Student I.D.s, known as Guardian Passes. They also had to fill out the paperwork for their respective vehicles, as well as pick up a couple of one-day parking passes for the Possible van and the Stoppable SUV. Looking over the rule book they'd received from Parking Services, it became readily apparent that the Phoenix and the Sloth might have nice long sitting periods at some points.

"Can you believe we can get towed if we park in one of the commuter lots?" Ron complained.

Kim grimaced as she looked over the parking map she'd been given. "Well at least you have designated motorcycle spots you can park in. I don't think there's going to come a single day that I can park near one of my classes without having to stuff a meter."

Next stop was the campus bookstore. Thanks to Wade, they'd put in their preliminary book orders fairly quickly after sending in their acceptance letters, meaning that most of the books they knew they'd need were already waiting for them. Ron had quite a few more since he'd already determined his major, but the Gen Ed. stacks weren't light by any means. And unfortunately, since practically everyone at G.V.U. was on scholarship, the books came out of their own pockets. Kim and Ron didn't know what they would have done if they didn't have the Bueno Nacho money to back them up, because several of the prices of the books, even used, were well north of the century mark.

Then it was time to face the most daunting task of all—finding out how to get to where their dorm was and where they could safely park. Based on the letters they'd received, they knew they were staying in Patriot Towers near the middle of the campus, but G.V.U. was filled with so many one-ways and gated lots that it quickly became a much-disliked chore. As they pulled up to yet another gate bar that was down and blocking their path, Ron flipped up his eye shield in frustration.

"Hey, KP, our dorm's right there. What if I just drive around this thing?"

Kim sighed. "No, Ron. I can just about guarantee you that the G.V.U. Campus Police are sitting just around the corner waiting to catch people doing just that."

As if to prove her point, another motorcyclist pulled around them, maneuvering around the gate and going ahead. No sooner had he gone past the building than a siren went off, accompanied by blue and red lights. As Kim and Ron watched the rider get his ticket, Kim turned towards her fiancé, a laughing 'I told you so' written all over her face. Ron merely grinned in defeat and turned back around to try another route. When they finally figured out how to get in the lot they needed, they both had to laugh. Had they taken the first turn left out of the bookstore parking lot instead of going right, they'd have run smack into the entrance to the needed parking.

The curb all along the building was stuffed with cars that were being unloaded, so James, Anne, and Jean had to locate other parking options for the moment. Ron, however, was pleased to learn that this particular lots motorcycle spaces were all relatively close to the door. As he shut off the engine, he heard Kim whistle behind him.

"You know, Ron, if this is any indication of a normal parking day here, I may need you to give me a ride to the Sloth from here."

Ron grinned. "Could always use the jets and park it on the roof, KP."

Kim smacked him on the arm playfully but still hard enough to make her point. "Not funny, Ron," she replied as she removed her helmet, letting her long auburn hair flip out and cascade down her shoulders like a blazing waterfall. Ron felt his breath catch in his chest, completely sure that Kim had found the absolute sexiest way to remove a motorcycle helmet. And the best part was that she probably didn't even know it.

**…**  
**…**

Over by the entrance to the building, a group of guys in letterman jackets were sitting around talking about their upcoming football season. One of them, All-Conference senior receiver Dack Daniels, watched with fascination as a very cute red-head removed her motorcycle helmet in a way that made it obvious to him she knew exactly what kind of effect she had on men. He elbowed his buddy, fullback Nate Highland, and motioned towards her.

"Hey man, fresh meat at 10 o'clock."

Nate whistled. "Man. That certainly ain't something the freshman cat dragged in. That girl could be a model if she wanted."

"She was," remarked a third player.

"What are you talking about, Vinnie?" Dack asked as he narrowed his eyes at the team's junior starting quarterback.

Vinnie James smiled. "I mean that she was a model for that Sperlucci guy once. You mean to tell me you don't recognize her? Man, Dack, you use your head to open holes too much."

Dack glanced back at the girl, already feeling the heat rising in his loins. "No way! That's Kim Possible?"

Vinnie grinned and nodded. "Yep. And that blonde guy whose motorcycle she just rode in on the back of is her partner and boyfriend, Ron Stoppable. He also happens to be our new running back."

Nate laughed loudly and cruelly. "That little shrimp? He won't last one day on the college level."

Vinnie smiled and shook his head. "Actually, he's already lasted a full week. Something you'd both know if you'd come to practice this week like you were supposed to."

Dack sneered. "Ah, what's that old fossil Devereaux gonna do about it? I'm the only All-Conference player on this team. He can't even come close to winning without me."

Vinnie stood and pulled out a forced smile. "You just keep pushing him, Dack, and we'll see if he thinks he can win without you. Same thing for you, Nate." With that he started to go, but not before throwing over his shoulder, "Oh, and by the way, Stoppable unofficially shattered both of you guy's '40 times during practice this week. Meaning he can easily outrun the both of you in open field."

**…**  
**…**

Over on the other side of the walkway sitting at some round stone picnic tables, a group of girls dressed in high-end fashion were also eyeing the young couple that had just pulled up on the brand new motorcycle.

"Hey, girls, check out the new kitty on campus. Looks like she needs to be taken down a peg or two," remarked Rachael Garreth as she tossed her long blonde hair, her jaws lazily working a large piece of bubblegum.

"Don't know why you're checking her out when you could be looking at the hottie she came with," replied the red-headed Bricin Lambert, licking her lips as the young blonde-haired man removed his own helmet. "He looks like that now; just imagine what he'll look like in four years."

Emily Quartermaine shook her short brown hair in disgust. "I can't believe you two. The semester hasn't even started, and already you're picking at the freshman class for young guns. And if you haven't noticed, he appears to be taken."

Nina Arroyo just laughed, her own raven locks shaking mirthfully in the ponytail she'd put them in. "Just let them go at it, Q. They'll be picking up their teeth if they try to make a play on that one."

"What are you talking about, Nina?" Rachael said as she blew and popped a huge bubble in the other girl's face.

Emily smiled as she realized where the other girl was coming from. "Whooo boy, it is them. Go ahead and make a play, Rach. I'd love to see you get trashed by sixteen forms of kung fu."

The gum unceremoniously fell out of Rachael's mouth. "You mean to tell me that hottie there is the guy who saved the world a few months ago? He's Ron Stoppable?"

Bricin also had a shocked look on her face, but hers was mixed with an envy to match her emerald green eyes. "Rach, that also means that the girl with him is Kim Possible. She's been everywhere and can get a favor from any designer on the planet. What I wouldn't give to have that kind of life."

Nina turned towards Emily. "Hey, Captain, think she'll come out for the cheer squad?"

Emily tilted her head to the side. "I'd love it if she did. We could use someone with her abilities on the team. But Coach Williams said she had hadn't heard one way or the other. And judging by what Kim said at that press conference in July, I'm not too sure she wants to. Course I can't say I really blame her."

Rachael's attitude was back at full force. "Yeah, she knows she can't hack it at this level, so she figures she might as well not even try."

Emily stood up and advanced on the other girl, getting right in her face. "You don't know a thing, Garreth. She could probably take my Captain's position inside of a week if she really wanted it. I'm just saying that she's got plenty on her plate already, and if she decides to cut some of it off, I don't begrudge her one bit."

Rachael also stood up, her blue eyes blazing. "You'd better step off, Emily, before I bitch-slap you into the hospital."

Emily stood firm. "I'll say this once Rachael. If I hear so much as a peep about you making life miserable for those two, I'll make sure life on the cheer squad is so miserable for you that you quit of your own free will.

With that she stormed off, Nina chasing after her. When she finally caught up to her friend, she grabbed her shoulder.

"What was that all about, Q? I've never seen you get so worked up defending a couple of people you've never met."

Emily smiled. "I may not of, but my family most certainly has."

Nina was puzzled for a moment before the realization hit her. "Ohhh, I'd almost forgotten about that."

* * *

The fight to get through the halls of Patriot Towers was anything but smooth. It seemed there were students and families everywhere. Thankfully, Ron and Felix's room was only on the first floor. Or was it the third? G.V.U. was one of those campuses that had been built into the landscape instead of on top of it, and the third floor on one side was actually the ground floor on the other. Kim finally solved the mystery by pointing out that the elevator called it the third floor, and that every room on that floor began with a three. That was also where the front desk was located, which was where they needed to check in at. A young man with a long, well-groomed beard was sitting there on a stool and looking very harassed by the hectic nature of the day and the job he'd been assigned.

"Names?" he said without looking up.

"Ron Stoppable."

"Kim Possible."

The young man sighed, still not looking up. "That joke is getting very old very quickly. Yes, Kim and Ron are attending here. No, I cannot tell you which rooms they will be in. So I ask again. Names?"

Ron put his hand on the desk and leaned forward. "Dude, it's really us."

The young man let out another exasperated sigh and looked up, annoyance all over his face. Then the look disappeared as he promptly fell out of his chair in surprise, knocking his books and several other items to the floor.

"Are you alright?" Kim asked as she came around the side to help him up.

Ron also came around, helping to pick up the stuff that had been dropped. That's when he noticed the small, pointed round cap he recognized so well.

"Dude, you're Jewish too?"

The young man looked at Ron in surprise. "You're Jewish?"

Ron smiled as he handed the young man back his yarmulke. "Yeah, though technically my family's Reform Jewish."

The young man smiled. "Hey, Jewish is Jewish in my book. The name's Elijah Zenkman, though most folks call me Eli. I'm one of the Resident Assistants, also known as RAs, here in Patriot Towers."

"Nice to meet you, Eli," replied Kim, extending her hand. "I'm…"

Eli held up his hand warmly. "I know who you are. Sorry about my reaction, but the news that you guys were moving into the dorms like regular students caught a lot of people by surprise. So we've had a bunch of idiots coming in and claiming to be you, just so they could find out what rooms you're gonna be staying in. We actually had to move both of you to new rooms because one of the other RAs accidentally showed your rooms to the wrong people."

Ron looked a little nervous. "Uhh, my roommate Felix is in a wheelchair, so how'd you move us to a different room?"

Eli smiled. "Don't worry. You're both still on the same floors you were, you've just been moved from East Tower to West Tower. And you have the same RA regardless of which side you're on, as long as you stayed on north or south side, which you both did." He looked down at his papers. "Okay. Ron, looks like you and Felix Renton are going to be in Unit 316. And Kim, it looks like you and Monique Watson are going to be in Unit 408. Both of you will get to your rooms the quickest by taking the West Tower elevator."

He reached into a key lock box behind him and withdrew two gold keys and a silver key for each of them.

"Here you go. The gold keys will get you into your Unit, and the silver key will get you into your personal room. If you lose a key, we can let you into your personal room as long as you have at least one of your gold keys, or your main room as long as you have your silver key. If you have neither, the charge is free until next Sunday, after which it is $25 non-refundable. Please also note that these keys have been marked so that no one in the state will make a copy of them without authorization. Therefore, I highly suggest giving your second gold key to someone you readily trust here on campus, not your roommate, that it will be easy for you to get in contact with."

Ron was looking panicked, and Kim knew exactly why, because she was feeling it too. This was a lot to remember!

Eli pulled out a pair of triplicate forms, and leafed through them, pointing out the various colors as he spoke.

"Before you start bringing stuff in, have your RA fill out this Check-In form. This will ensure you against any damage that may already exist in both the Unit and the room. Please, even if your roommate is already present, which I see applies to you, Ron, have your RA go over the entirety of the form. This will protect you from any charges that may have occurred since your roommate arrived. The white copy comes back here, the yellow one stays with your RA, and the pink is for your records."

He handed the forms to the bewildered Team Possible.

"Now, any questions?"

"Just two," said Ron. "First, can you repeat all of that?"

Kim groaned and rolled her eyes while Eli merely grinned.

"Don't worry. It's a lot of information that I'm required to tell you but you don't really have to know all of it right now."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, and second, what's the pet policy here?"

Eli smiled again. "Up till this year, there was a strict 'no pets, not even fish' policy, but the University felt it would be good to open it to small mammals on a trial basis. I think this probably has something to do with the little guy riding on your shoulder, Ron."

Ron was slightly surprised, because he hadn't even realized Rufus was sitting there. He reached over and patted the little guy on the head. "Sounds like you get to stay, buddy."

Rufus smiled and chittered. "Hrk. Dorm life."

Eli nearly fell out of his chair again. "Well, I'll be. He does talk. And here I thought it was someone doing a voice-over every time he showed up on TV."

Kim smiled and spoke up. "I don't suppose you've got any dollies available do you, Eli?"

The young man shook his head. "Unfortunately, all our hand trucks are being used right now. And just so you know, if you see one in the hall, you need to leave it where you find it. They're all numbered, and we check them out by exchanging them for your Guardian Pass. In order to get your pass back, you have to bring the exact one you checked out back to this desk."

Kim and Ron thanked him and set out to locate their rooms. Finding the Units was easy—the hard part was finding their RAs to get checked in. Felix was already inside the guys' room, and directed Ron towards 310. Ron knocked several times, but got no answer. They were just about to give up when a guy who had to be a senior came running up the hall panting.

"Sorry, had to…chase down…my girlfriend's dad…before he drove off...with my keys…in his truck."

"Easy, man. Breathe," replied Ron as the guy hunched over.

After a minute, the guy stood up. "Ron, glad to meet ya. Name's Maximillian Argyle, but most call me Max. Gotta say, Man, I'm stoked to have you on my floor. And I take it this lovely young woman must be the famous Kim Possible."

"Nice to meet you, Max," Kim said with a smile.

"Got a strong feeling we might be seeing a lot of you on this floor, Kim," Max replied with a smile before turning to face Ron. "Okay, let's head over to your room and get you checked in so you can start getting settled. Already met with you buddy Felix, and he tells me you guys are fellow Zombie Bashers."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, we are. We're also both serious Everlot players."

Max laughed. "Not as good as the Tunnel Lord here, I'll bet," he said as he pointed to Rufus. "Mind if I give him something?"

Ron was puzzled but smiled. "Uhh…sure?"

The young man fished into his pocket and pulled out a Saran-wrapped, quarter-roll-sized hunk of Swiss, carefully unwrapping it before he handed it to the happily chittering Rufus. "Trisha's dad still doesn't get that I don't like this Swiss, even after I've been going with her now three years. He brings me a whole case of these every Friday. So, little dude, you come down on Saturdays and you can have all you want."

It was hard to hear Rufus's reply through the mouthful of cheese, but all three got exactly how he felt.

"I think you just made yourself a life-long friend," laughed Kim.

The Check-In took relatively little time. Each Unit was basically like a mini-apartment, and felt quite cozy. The main room was basically a living room with only a couch and a TV stand, with counters and a mini-fridge nestled off to one side. The bedrooms each had a single, plain Twin XL bed frame with the typical rock-hard mattress ("Egg crate mattress topper is the best thing you'll ever buy," quipped Max.); a desk with one drawer, a hutch with a shelf, and a place down low for the CPU part of a computer; a simple chair with no arms; and a short, two drawer nightstand that barely came up as high as the bed. The closets (if you could call them that) had just one shelf and were just barely deep enough for a suit jacket to hang without touching the walls—Ron was actually betting that a couple of Kim's wider-bottom dresses would actually mash up against the walls. The single bathroom was the typical, college-style bathroom, with just enough room to move around in; or at least that's what Max said that Kim's would look like. Since Felix was in a wheelchair, all the doors were wider, and the bathroom itself was also wider and more spacious, allowing for the easier movement.

Speaking of Ron's roommate, they found him using his chair's robotic arms to set up the TV, DVD player, and gaming station.

"Ron-man, how's it hanging?" the young man said with a smile as he set the controls of his arms on pause so he could high-five his friend.

"Just checking in, Wheels. How bout you?"

"Been moved in since Thursday. My mom gave me a ride back to Middleton yesterday morning so I could come to the dedication without losing my parking spot. Plus, she wanted a way to keep me at home one more night."

Kim was confused. "But can't you get a pretty good spot anyways with your placard?"

Felix waved his hand in annoyance but kept smiling. "You'd think, but they aren't very good about policing the lots right now. There are five handicap spots in that lot, and right now they're all taken by cars without any sort of placard or plate that says they can. I'm just lucky I got a spot relatively close to the door.

Max grinned. "Don't worry, Felix. It'll clear up once the semester get's going. UPD and Parking Services people are always a little lax for about a week to give the new students a chance to adjust. Once things are swinging, they start booting and towing anyone who's not marked for that space or that lot."

**…**  
**…**

Kim's RA was much easier to find, since she was in the room directly across from Kim's, Unit 407. At first, Kim didn't know what to think of her, because the young woman had long, dark purple hair which draped down over her left eye, and was dressed completely in form-fitting black pants and shirt with a black beret on her head. If someone had painted her face white, she could have easily been mistaken for a mime.

"Hi, Mitzy Drake. And you must be the famous Kim Possible. To tell the truth, when I first saw your name on my list, I thought somebody was playing a joke on me."

Kim smiled. "We've been getting that a lot today. It's nice to meet you."

Mitzy was beaming. "Nice to meet you too. And I take it this must be your better half, a.k.a. Ron Stoppable?"

"Guilty as charged," admitted Ron with a smile.

The girl grinned. "Don't let my image fool you; I'm not one of those emo, Goth types. I'm actually closer to the beatnik coffee-house bard type. By the way, don't go to the local Stubbs®; the swill they serve definitely shows their nationwide status. Best place to go for java around here is a place just off campus called The Blue Wolf. Really cozy with couches, a fireplace, and a reading room. I actually do some poetry readings down there from time to time."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, but Ron avoids it, and I pretty much only drink straight black coffee. We're not really the coffee-house type."

Mitzy grinned. "Not yet you're not. But trust me: by the end of this year, you'll probably have the opening and closing times of every coffee house in the city memorized, particularly for the ones close to campus." She shut the door to her room behind her. "Now, how about we get this taken care of so you can start making yourself at home?"

As they headed across the hall, they heard a familiar voice call out.

"Kim, girl, good to see you."

"Hey Monique," Kim replied with a smile and a wave. She waited until the African-American girl got closer before commencing with the necessary introductions.

"Mitzy, this is Monique. Monique, this is Mitzy Drake, the RA on this wing."

Monique smiled. "Hi, nice to meet you. Gotta ask, who designed your outfit? It's so simple yet very elegant."

Mitzy grinned. "You're looking at her. You know, I like this girl already. So you're Kim's roommate, huh? I'm sure you've been told of the conditions you have to follow."

Kim smiled. "Don't worry. Monique and me are BFF's and very tight."

Mitzy's smile grew about twice its original size. "Well, I guess I really lucked out then. I was actually a little worried, but if you two are that close we shouldn't have any problems. It also means I don't have to go through that long-winded speech they said I'd have to give. So I guess the only thing left to do is get you two checked in."

The only major differences between the girls' Unit and the one that Ron and Felix would be staying in were the size of the bathroom and the narrower doors leading into the bedrooms. Kim and Monique flipped for rooms to see who'd be closer to the bathroom, and Monique won. Walking into that room however, they quickly discovered that it might not be Kim who lost, because they could hear what sounded like a bed banging against the wall in the Unit next to theirs.

Mitzy sighed and muttered under her breath. "Dang it, Terri, can't you even wait one day?" She turned towards the three somewhat stupefied people who were standing in slight shock. "Be right back," she said with an annoyed smile.

The next minute, there was a girl's loud shriek and yell heard from Unit 409, as well as the muffled sounds of what appeared to be a guy's voice. From the commotion the three friends could hear, it wasn't too hard to figure out what had happened. A few minutes later, Mitzy reappeared, her beret now worn at a haphazard angle and her hair no longer in the straight, neat style it had been in.

"Sorry about that," she said with a grimace. At their shocked looks, she quickly continued. "Oh, don't worry, there's no rule against that, at least not normally. The University just doesn't want it happening on a day when there are a lot of younger brothers and sisters roaming the halls. Any other time, feel free to go at it like rabbits."

Monique got a nervous look on her face. "Uhh, Kim? Feel like trading? It'll put you closer to the bathroom."

Kim grinned and shook her head. "I think I'll walk the ten extra steps."

* * *

Gerhardt scanned the room, looking at his new underlings. He wasn't that fond of the magenta and white uniforms, but he could put up with it if it meant he was back in a position of power. Even better, Gemini had revealed to him that on the occasions the W.E.E. leader had to leave the compound, it was Agent Alpha who was in full command. That meant that during the times the patch-eyed evil brother of his former boss was away on business, Gerhardt had the power he'd lusted after for so long. What's more, it was unrestrained by the bureaucratic red-tape and regulations that his Global Justice position had been held to.

_Global Justice._

Just the mere thought of his former employer grated on his nerves to the point that he was almost as riled as Gemini's Chihuahua Pepé got whenever anyone even mentioned the words. If only they'd given him the top position, instead of handing it on a silver platter to the one-eyed bleeding heart of Betty Director, things would have gone so much smoother. The world would be at peace, kept safe by the protective iron grip of its top spy network. Any threat, no matter how gargantuan or how miniscule, would have been met with a force intended to show everyone that people who operated outside of the given order would be swiftly and forcefully removed, allowing the rest to live in harmony.

But nooooo…they wanted to do things the "subtle" way, the "good" way, the way that kept everything possible under wraps and let the general public carry on in blissful ignorance. Well, Ivan Gerhardt, the new Agent Alpha of the Worldwide Evil Empire, would soon show them how wrong that approach was. Already, he had plans in the works, plans that had made Gemini's good eye light up with evil glee at his new Agent Alpha's cunning and the underhandedness of his tactics. As Gerhardt stared at the screen he was working at, his dark mustache began to twitch again, like a pendulum slowly counting down to an inevitable fall.

* * *

It took most of the morning and part of the afternoon to get Kim and Ron settled in. Part of that was the lack of available hand trucks, but a lot of it had to do with the mothers wanting one last chance to be…well…mothers. Both Anne and Jean insisted on hanging up every single piece of clothing, neatly organizing every bathroom utility, and making and re-making the beds until the sheets were absolutely perfect.

"Mom, it's fine," Kim finally said at last after she watched her tuck in the sheets with perfect hospital corners for the fifth…no, sixth time. "Besides, it'll just get messed up again tonight when I go to sleep."

Her mother smiled. "Kimmie, I just want to make sure you start off on the right foot, that's all."

Kim smiled and put her arms around her mother's neck. "I know, Mom. But you've got to let me go and make my own decisions. Even if I fall flat on my face, I've got to start living my own life."

Anne looked at her daughter. "I know that, honey. I guess I just never thought about it happening like this."

Kim stood and shut the door to the bedroom, sensing that this was a private mother-daughter moment. "What do you mean?"

Anne sighed. "Kim, ever since the Walter Nelson incident, I've been trying to get your father to realize that you were growing up, that you weren't four years old with pigtails anymore. I knew you were becoming a young woman, and I tried to get him to see that too. But I guess I just never realized it would happen this quickly. I mean, just barely over three months ago, you were still attending Middleton, still figuring out who you were. Now here we are in August, and you're graduated from high school, engaged to a wonderful man who dearly loves you, living in a place that your father and I didn't have to provide for you, and about to start college in less than two days. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't think you'd take to womanhood so quickly."

Kim wiped a tear from her eye. "Mom, I'm still the same as I was the day you took me to my first day of preschool. True, the looks may be more grown up and the mind a little more seasoned, but I'm just as scared of this school as I was of that one. And no matter what happens or who I may meet, or even how my name changes, I'm still going to be your daughter. And nothing can ever take that away from me or from you and Daddy. And if it could, you know I'd fight it every step of the way."

"I know Kimmie," her mother replied slowly. "I guess I just never realized how quickly my baby was growing up."

They embraced at that moment, neither woman wanting to let go, even when James came in carrying a heavy box filled with part of Kim's book collection. Anne even went so far as to hold a finger to indicate he needed to wait a moment before they would move. However, when they finally broke the hold, Kim found herself happily locked in another hug, this one with both her parents.

"We're so proud of you, Kimmie-cub," her father said as a tear escaped his eye.

"I know, Daddy," she said with a smile, embracing both of them even tighter.

At that moment, Jim and Tim came in, each carrying a box that contained her mission wear and gadgets. Monique quickly shut the door, and the six of them set to sorting out where it all needed to go to be easily accessible. Thankfully, Monique didn't mind if was kept out in the common room, so long as she knew what _everything_ was capable of doing. The only thing she asked was that everything disguised as make-up items be kept out of the bathroom, a suggestion Kim readily agreed to, especially considering what a couple of the _Kissy Girl_ "lip glosses" could do. While they were organizing it all, Kim kept thinking something important was missing, something she knew she'd wanted to bring. Once they had the room set up, she looked at her pillows, and instantly realized what wasn't there. She quickly started looking through the unpacked boxes, her mind growing more and more frantic. Just then there was a knock at the door. Monique opened it, and there stood Ron, holding a very special item.

"Think I found a stowaway," he said with a grin.

Kim squealed and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Ronnie! Thank you!"

"As you say, no big. Figured you might want him," he replied as he handed her the Pandaroo.

She cuddled the plush in one arm while she used the other to pull him in for a kiss. An audible chorus of "Aww," could be heard down the hallway, and when Kim looked out she saw several doors open and several pairs of heads poked out and staring at them. She realized with a touched smile that Ron must have carried the stuffed animal in full view from his room to hers, meaning he'd passed every single one of those open doors. The thought made her immediately decide to give him a second kiss.

"Okay, you two," they heard a laughing voice say.

Gene Stoppable was coming up the hallway, and Jean was carrying Hana and walking beside him, both of them smiling. From the look on the woman's face, Kim could almost bet that Ron and his mom had had a conversation that mirrored the one Kim had just had with her own mother.

"Well, Ronald's all moved in," Gene said with a smile. "How's Kim doing?"

"I believe she's all set," James said with a smile.

"Well then, I suggest we all go out to dinner then to celebrate," declared Jean. "Monique, care to join us?"

The young woman shook her head. "No thanks, Mrs. Stoppable. I'm actually supposed to go meet with one of my advisers here in a little bit. We were supposed to meet yesterday, but we couldn't find a time both of us could work it out. So she set up a special appointment for me this afternoon so we could discuss my schedule."

"Okay," replied Kim. "Want us to pick you up something while we're out?"

Monique grinned. "Wouldn't mind a pair of Nacos from the local BN if you could swing it."

"Deal," Kim said with a grin.

Approximately thirty minutes later, the Possibles and the Stoppables were all situated around a table at the local Emerald Thursdays. Gene raised his glass to say something, but James shook his head and grinned.

"Hold on, Gene. You got the one for the engagement. I'll take this one."

Gene smiled and nodded, lowering his glass until the appropriate moment.

James raised his glass. "I propose a toast. To Kim and Ron, and the new path of learning they are about to undertake. May they learn what they need, forget what they don't, and have the wisdom to know the difference."

There were several laughs that accompanied the clinking of glasses. As they tucked into their meals, Kim couldn't help but smile at the handsome young man sitting next to her. Life at this moment was perfect. She might not know what field she was going to study, but there was no doubt in her mind that the journey would be fun. Later that evening, as the families bid farewell and headed back to Middleton, the same thoughts crossed her mind. True, it was a little scary knowing that this would basically be their home for at least the next four years, but hey, change could be good.

Ron walked her to her Unit door, and kissed her goodnight. She was tempted to invite him in, but she knew they needed to get used to this, just in case her dad or Ron's mom decided to make an unannounced visit. After all, she could always spend the night with him another night. As he walked down the hall, she sighed contentedly, wishing him a restful sleep. Then she turned and opened the door, handing Monique her Bueno Nacho bag before drifting off to her bedroom. Once inside the room, she shut the door and flopped down on the bed. It wasn't by any means the most comfortable mattress, and she made a mental note to herself to follow Max's suggestion and buy one of those egg-crate things. She got up and changed into her pajamas, adding her thickest blanket on top of the sheets, hoping to at least make it comfortable for tonight.

Smiling, she pulled a small velvet box out of her treasure shoebox, and opened it up gently. Ever since they'd decided to keep the engagement secret from the press, Kim had taken to keeping her ring in the box Ron had presented it to her in, wearing it only at night and around the house. As she slipped it on, she cuddled up to her Pandaroo, wishing that he were about five feet taller and warm with sandy blonde hair.

**…**  
**…**

Kim awoke from her slumber a short while later to a banging sound coming from Monique's room. She quickly exited her room and entered her friend's to find the young woman banging on the opposite wall.

"Knock it off you two!" her BFF called. Then she noticed Kim standing there. "Oooooh, sorry, did I wake you?"

Kim smiled grumpily. "At least we won't have to worry about it being too quiet," she quipped.

* * *

Sunday passed with relatively little happening. Kim, Ron, Monique, and Felix spent most of the day taking a walking tour of the G.V.U. campus, making sure that they were well aware of all the possible routes to and from each of their classes. Kim and Ron had actually done their class selections together and decided to take many of the same classes, mainly so they could help each other adjust to college life. Ron of course had a couple of classes that were already concerned with the meat of his major, but the flexibility of Kim's class schedule without a declared major helped things out tremendously. It also helped that the football team's practices didn't take place until what was basically the end of the normal school day.

As they located the buildings each of their classes would be taking place in, however, they made a rather pleasant discovery. As it turned out, they would actually have two classes that all four of them would take together. One was the Guardian's Student Plan for Education and Adjusting to Residency, a.k.a. the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R., an orientation class/program that all incoming freshman had to take. The other would be their Freshman English I class. While Kim and Ron had planned it this way, the addition of their friends to the classes was, as Ron put it, "a badical turn of events." Unfortunately, they had no idea who would be teaching the second class, since the schedules they'd printed off the student website only had "Staff" in the instructor slot.

As a matter of fact, the only thing of any consequence that took place that day was Kim and Monique reporting the noise from the previous night to Mitzy. The RA smiled and said she'd say something to Residence Life, but that there really wasn't much she could do beyond what she'd done the day before. Kim smiled and thanked the young woman, but inside she was ferociously tweaked. She was actually tempted to be very un-Kim like and use her celebrity status to push something through, an idea she shared with Monique as they returned to their Unit, but all it took was one look from her BFF to dispel the idea.

"Girl, you do that, and you'll be acting just like Queen B would in this sort of situation. Besides, what would Ron say about you doing that? Cause I'm willing to bet that's for sure NTGHFILW."

Kim looked at her blankly. "Okay, that one's going to need some explaining, Mon."

Monique gave her a pointed look. "'Not The Girl He Fell In Love With.' He might start wondering why you did it."

Kim sighed in agreement. "And his natural Ron-ness would set in. And he'd start wondering if that changed about me, what else could, leading him to think that we might be starting to drift apart."

Monique grinned. "See, you are learning girl. Sometimes you need to think about the guy-your-with's feelings."

Kim smiled. "Speaking of which, how are you holding up?"

"Me?" the African-American beauty said with temporary unsure look that was quickly dispelled for one of listlessness. "Honestly, I'm missing his smile at the breakfast table in the mornings. And I would also like to know exactly how he found about my fondness for lilacs." At Kim's unsuccessfully hidden smile, she cocked an eyebrow. "Girl, you know something, don't you?"

Kim shrugged and became very interested in the ceiling. "No, not at all."

"Kim," her friend said with much seriousness.

Kim looked at the door as if it wasn't closed tight before turning back and fixing her friend with a pointed look. "Alright, but you have to swear that this never leaves this room. And no other ears ever hear it, not even as pillow talk."

Monique raised her hand in salute. "God as my witness."

Kim sighed. "Okay, you remember those two teens that were staying in Wade's holo-cube this summer?"

"Yeah…" Monique said with bit of unsure feeling to her voice.

"Well, don't be surprised if you see them again in a few years, though they'll probably be younger."

"Huh? Girl, WAYTA? People get older as the years go by, not younger."

"Monique, the girl was our daughter. Mine and Ron's."

Monique shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, man. You mean to tell me those two were from the future?"

Kim nodded. "Ferociously weird I know. But yes, they were. And right before they left just prior to the 4th of July, they said that had they not been forced to come back and fix things, Wade would have found out about your fascination with lilacs naturally. But since their being here messed that up, they decided to go ahead and give him the tip."

Monique had a look somewhere between shocked and smiling. "So they're saying that Wade and I are…"

"No, they didn't," replied Kim. "They only said that at one point you two were an item. They never said how long it lasted, nor did they say whether or not you two stayed together and did the whole fam thing. All they said was that the lilac knowledge helped matters. And they also told us that night that based on what happened while they were here, the only things set halfway in stone were that Ron and I would be together, and that Drakken and Shego would be together. Which they only knew because they both still existed. To tell the truth, they were actually a little worried about what they were heading back to."

Monique got a strange look on her face. "I see…so this could still mean that I'm gonna meet some hottie here at G.V.U."

Kim shrugged. "It could. The biggest advice they gave us was to live as if they'd never come. Not exactly the easiest sitch since me and Ron already know we're supposed to be together, but they also warned us that if we got too comfortable with the idea it could lead to us taking each other for granted. And then we might end up split."

Monique laughed. "Okay, girl, now you're talking crazy. The other stuff is whack yet believable; Ron and you breaking up, or one of you dumping the other, is just plain ridiculous and NGH."

Kim smiled softly. "I'd like to think so, but me and Ron are normal people, you know. Neither one of us can predict the future. And what we know is only a glimpse of a possible outcome for us."

**…**  
**…**

That evening, as they relaxed while watching a movie in the guys' Unit, Kim thought about the earlier conversation. She looked up at Ron, and suddenly a question pushed itself to the front of her mind. But before she and Ron could talk about it, Kim wanted to make sure their friends were okay with them going into his room.

"Uh, Mon? Felix? Would you mind if me and Ron went and talked in his room for a bit?"

Felix smiled. "No problem, Kim. Just be sure to put a hanger on the doorknob if it progresses."

Monique groaned. "If that happens, I am definitely gonna head upstairs."

Kim sent a wry smile at the two, and was about to reply when Ron beat her to the punch.

"Not that it's any of your business, but both me and Kim know we're not ready for that," he said with a smile that blatantly displayed that Monique and Felix would probably be the first ones apart from the participants to know if it did happen.

Kim rolled her eyes and pulled her fiancée into his bedroom and shut the door.

"Thanks for that," she said, her face displaying a mix between amusement and 'Ron you stepped in it big time' tweaked.

Ron missed the amusement in her eyes completely. "Sorry, KP. Guess I got ahead of myself."

Kim shook her head and giggled. "No big, Ronnie. But I do have a question for you."

"Shoot," he said with a smile as he plopped back on the bed.

She took a deep breath as she joined him. "Would you think less of me if I decided to go ahead and go out for cheerleading for a rather ridiculous and ferociously trivial reason?"

Ron smiled. "First of all, it's completely your decision, KP. No matter what you decide to do, I'm going to support it. And secondly, I don't think any reason when it comes to deciding on something that's been a part of you for so long is going to be considered trivial or ridiculous. Why do you ask?"

Kim sighed again, picking at the fuzzies on the G.V.U. school logo afghan he'd bought when they got their books and now had draped over his bed. "It's just that I'm finding that I want to keep something from our days as Mad Dogs while we're here becoming Guardians. I guess I'm just thinking that it would make the transition a little easier if I could grow up while still getting to be young in a way."

Ron grinned. Normally, he was the one who was filled with child-like wonder, and Kim was the serious one. It was such a part of who they were that he'd actually begun to suspect that when they did have kids he'd be the one who used the "kids will be kids" excuse while she would be the one who handed out the discipline. Now, here she was wanting for part of life to stay the way it had when they were younger. He laughed in his head, and knew exactly what he had to say.

"You realize that this means 'cheerleader saves the world' will still apply."

Kim rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Yeah, I guess so. Speaking of which, are you going to be able to concentrate on the games with me on the sidelines in that cheer uniform?"

Ron's smile was full of a mock cockiness. "It didn't seem to affect me that much when you were on the sidelines at Middleton."

"True," remarked Kim with a slightly evil grin. "But the uniforms for M.H.S. had about twice the coverage of the ones for G.V.U. Think you can handle the extra showing of skin?"

Ron grinned. "Just as long as you promise to wear it a few times when we have some personal fun."

Kim laughed. "Deal. So I guess I'm going to the tryouts this Friday."

As they reemerged, Felix and Monique both grinned, and Kim saw the dig coming before it was vocalized.

"Man, Ron, if that's all the time and effort you're gonna take on my BFF, I might need to put in some coaching on you," Monique said with a smile. "We didn't even hear any sort of reactions."

Kim rolled her eyes, and then got a rather devious idea. "Or maybe we're a little kinky and he had me gagged."

The look on Felix and Monique's faces caused both Kim and Ron to break out laughing.

* * *

D.N. Amy was fuming. Her recent lead had come to nothing, thanks to those annoying teenagers. Thanks to Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, she'd lost the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer before she could even look into if its abilities could help her solve her problem. Also thanks to them and their parting words, she'd been forced to admit that Falsetto Jones had indeed fulfilled his part of their little deal, and had to return his cute little doggies to him. D.N. Amy had actually been hoping that she'd get on of the cute little puppies to play with as part of the deal, but the helium-voiced thief had been completely furious with her for trying to renege on their deal. He'd even threatened to call the police on her himself if she ever showed her face near his estate again.

Now she was in such a snit that even playing with her massive Cuddle Buddies collection was bringing her no comfort. She'd also tried a few more times to recreate her favorite Cuddle Buddy, the Otterfly, but so far none of the attempts had been any more successful than every other time she had tried. Or if they had, they looked nothing like the cute, cuddly version she loved—instead they had bug eyes or the long, insect-like proboscis. So she would run them through her gene splicing machine in reverse. It was the one Cuddle Buddy she couldn't seem to recreate. She even had a couple of actual Pandaroos in her private little zoo, and that had proved the most difficult one to date to get right. Why Kim Possible thought the things to be the cutest Cuddle Buddy the rogue geneticist would never understand, as she herself thought the Otterfly ruled the cuteness factor, but that hadn't been why she'd done it. It had been purely for the fun and the challenge.

Maybe that was also why she'd undertaken her current project. Of course if she were honest with herself, D.N. Amy knew there were other reasons as well. She just knew that if she were successful, he would look at her differently. He would finally start returning her affections and show his true feelings, feelings she knew he'd had ever since they'd first met. The more she thought about the future possibilities, the less angry she felt. It was hard to stay mad while thinking about him.

* * *

a/n

I would like to extend a special thank you to two readers who have been vocalizing their opinions for every chapter I've had so far, and the input and influence they've had on my stories. **Pinky Jo Curlytail **and **CajunBear73**, you two are great, and I really appreciate the loyal following. That's not to say I don't have other followers that I appreciate, but you guys have responded to everything, even when the next chapter was already posted. Thanks guys.

As always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

Chapter 4 is up and running!

Things are rolling along a bit, but I've found relatively little opportunity to work on this at work like I originally thought I would. That may change once I actually start working the shift I'm supposed to be on, since it's supposed to be the one with the most free time, but for now I'll just try to have at least a chapter a week up. Anyways, back to the story:

The first day of college holds some interesting things for Kim and Ron, and it all starts in an unexpected way.

Then two groups make their first moves, one on Kim, the other on Ron.

The freshman assembly introduces a couple of key players, and gives Team Possible a taste of things to come.

Ron learns a lesson he's not soon to forget.

The first S.P.E.A.R. class settles some worries while stirring up others.

And after a long day, some less than welcome news is delivered.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

D.N. Amy was fuming. Her recent lead had come to nothing, thanks to those annoying teenagers. Thanks to Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, she'd lost the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer before she could even look into if its abilities could help her solve her problem. Also thanks to them and their parting words, she'd been forced to admit that Falsetto Jones had indeed fulfilled his part of their little deal, and had to return his cute little doggies to him. D.N. Amy had actually been hoping that she'd get one of the cute little puppies to play with as part of the deal, but the helium-voiced thief had been completely furious with her for trying to renege on their deal. He'd even threatened to call the police on her himself if she ever showed her face near his estate again.

Now she was in such a snit that even playing with her massive Cuddle Buddies collection was bringing her no comfort. She'd also tried a few more times to recreate her favorite Cuddle Buddy, the Otterfly, but so far none of the attempts had been any more successful than every other time she had tried. Or if they had, they looked nothing like the cute, cuddly version she loved—instead they had bug eyes or the long, insect-like proboscis. So she would run them through her gene splicing machine in reverse. It was the one Cuddle Buddy she couldn't seem to recreate. She even had a couple of actual Pandaroos in her private little zoo, and that had proved the most difficult one to date to get right. Why Kim Possible thought the things to be the cutest Cuddle Buddy the rogue geneticist would never understand, as she herself thought the Otterfly ruled the cuteness factor, but that hadn't been why she'd done it. It had been purely for the fun and the challenge.

Maybe that was also why she'd undertaken her current project. Of course if she were honest with herself, D.N. Amy knew there were other reasons as well. She just knew that if she were successful, he would look at her differently. He would finally start returning her affections and show his true feelings, feelings she knew he'd had ever since they'd first met. The more she thought about the future possibilities, the less angry she felt. It was hard to stay mad while thinking about him.

* * *

Kim awoke Monday morning to a loud banging on her bedroom door. In response, she sighed and pulled the covers back up over her head, grumbling about what she planned to do to two annoying little brothers and one particular blonde if they didn't let her sleep in today. However, the banging continued, this time accompanied by a voice she hadn't expected.

"Kim, girl, you need to get up right now!" Monique shouted through the door.

Suddenly, Kim came to the realization that she was not in the guest room of the Stoppable house, nor was she even in her hometown of Middleton. She threw the covers off as her eyes raced to the alarm clock she had for once in her lifetime forgotten to set. However, her pulse quickly calmed when she noticed the time.

_Barely 6:45 AM. Whew!_

Feeling rather groggy now that the adrenaline of anxiety at oversleeping was gone, Kim stretched her limbs, quickly understanding why most people bought something to make the less-than-relaxing mattresses of the dorms more comfortable. She hadn't noticed the morning before, but sleeping on the things was worse than the one or two times they'd forgotten their sleeping bags on mission and had had to make do sleeping on the ground. Or maybe she had, and had simply attributed the stiffness and soreness the "rocks" caused as being due to feeling wiped from Saturday's move-in.

Yawning, she called out to her BFF. "Alright, Mon, I'm up. I'm up."

Monique's voice was anything but calmed down. "Girl, up doesn't cut it! We have that Freshman Orientation assembly at 8:00, and we still have to get breakfast before then! Plus, Ron and Felix are here waiting on us!"

It took a minute for the red-head's mind to register what she'd just been told, but as soon as it did her anxiety was back. Immediately gratefully she'd chosen one of her more modest pajama sets to sleep in, she grabbed a towel and her day's clothes from her drawers and practically flew into the bathroom, slowing only long enough to keep from crashing into her bedroom door or the bathroom door. As she disappeared inside, Felix whistled in amazement.

"I don't think I've ever seen Kim late for anything, even during the times when she took on too much and her schedules were crossed."

Ron nodded. "Honestly man, I don't really blame her. By the time we got back from the good-luck dinner with our parents, we didn't have time to go to the local Smarty Mart for mattress pads. And then yesterday I think we both forgot."

"Doesn't help that my girl locked her bedroom door last night before she fell asleep," Monique chimed in. "Otherwise, I could have helped and gotten her up sooner when her alarm didn't go off this morning."

Ron grinned. "And here I thought I'd be the one who had trouble getting up in the mornings."

Felix rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Uh Ron-man, you _did_ have trouble getting up this morning. If it wasn't for the space between the bedroom doors and the floor, I couldn't have gotten one of my chair's arms under the door to unlock it and wake you up. Speaking of which, why did you two lock your doors? I mean, you are rooming with me and Monique."

Kim came out of the bathroom showered and almost fully dressed right at that moment, her hairdryer going while she ran a brush through her hair. "Habit, Felix. Whenever Ron and I have had to stay somewhere other than home, we've always locked the doors, even against each other. I actually did it for about a week when my family moved in with his for the same reason. Once we get used to living here, it'll stop."

Monique stared open-mouthed at her friend. "Girl, when did you learn to get ready that quick?"

Kim smiled a little. "It comes with the territory, Monique. When you have to be able to mission prep in less than ten minutes, you learn how to speed up things. Ron's able to do it too."

Felix laughed. "'Mr. King of Marinating,' quick at getting ready? I swear he took longer in the shower this morning than my mom does."

Ron grinned a bit. "Hey, I like to actually relax in during my showers, thank you."

They all laughed at that, and Kim slipped on her socks and shoes, the only missing items, and grabbed for her book bag, looking inside to make sure she had everything she needed. "So, think we'll have enough time to come back here after the orientation before our Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. class?"

Since it was the first day of classes, incoming freshmen only had to attend the morning orientation and the first meeting of the S.P.E.A.R. class they would be taking their first two semesters. Everyone else at G.V.U. still had another day to go before their first class, at which time the normal schedules would become active.

Ron nodded an affirmative. "We should. The assembly's only supposed to last until 9:00, and the S.P.E.A.R. class doesn't start until 10:00. Should be plenty of time to get back here."

Even so, Kim and Monique both packed the skinny book and workbook they'd been assigned for the class. After all, they had no idea how "on schedule" the assembly was going to be, nor how long it would take to get back up to the campus from the Jackson Center where the assembly was being held. Not to mention that they'd have to deal with the rest of the freshman crowd coming back from the same assembly, which would most likely make the trek even slower.

**…**  
**…**

The student union, known as Sentinel Station, was situated in the middle of campus. It was almost as big as the main building of Middleton High was, and the open-air atrium just inside the front doors made it seem even larger. The student food court, commonly called the Guardhouse by the student body, was abuzz with activity when the four friends arrived around twenty minutes later. It would have been sooner, but they'd already discovered one of the dreaded terrors of dorm living—that of the broken elevator. Thankfully, Felix had decided to bring his more advanced cybertronic wheelchair up to the girls' room, so he was able to fly/hover down the stairs. Once inside the Guardhouse, they found the student cafeteria to have practically every single choice they could want for breakfast, including a few fast-food restaurants. There was of course a Bueno Nacho Express, much to Ron's delight and Kim's chagrin, although she noted with some satisfaction that it did still have many of the more nutritional elements on its menu. There was also a Cow & Chow On-the-Go, a Dicemans Pizza, an abbreviated Stubbs®, and a school-oriented café/grill/sub shop called The Sentry's Post.

The girls immediately went for the healthier fruit salad bar and bowls of cereal offered by the main cafeteria, while the guys predictably went to load up on Bueno Nacho's breakfast items. Since Kim and Monique got their food first, they located a table off to the side in the seating area and sat down, holding off for Felix and Ron before officially starting on their meals, though they did nibble a little on some of the larger fruit chunks they'd added to their fruit salads as they waited. While they were watching for the guys, an attractive smiling brunette with short hair and an equally beautiful raven-haired young woman came up to them and grinned.

"Kim Possible, right?" the brunette said as she extended her hand.

Kim nodded. "That's right. And this is my BFF Monique."

"Nice to meet you," the young woman said with a smile. "I'm Emily Quartermaine, the captain of the Guardian cheer squad, and this is Nina Arroyo, the co-captain. Mind if we ask you something, Kim?"

Kim smiled. "Not at all. What can I do for you?"

Nina grinned. "Actually, we just were wondering if you were going to join up with the team on Friday."

Monique smiled. "She sure is. And if she tries to chicken out, I'm gonna hogtie her and drop her off myself."

Emily laughed a bit. "Well, based on what I know about you two and your friendship, I get the feeling you're one of the few people who could do that, Monique."

Kim shook her head in confusion. "Wait, how do you know about us like that?"

The brunette smiled. "Don't worry; I'm not an obsessive fan. It's just that when you hear that possibly the top cheerleader in notoriety in the world is gonna come to your school, you tend to want to do a little digging. Plus, I was hoping if you declined that there'd be some way to convince you to join the team."

Kim was slightly surprised. "You _want_ me on the squad?"

Nina grinned. "Actually it's more like we feel we need you. Kim, what you were able to turn the Middleton Mad Dogs cheer squad into as their captain was truly incredible. From what we've heard, the only contest you guys participated in that you didn't win was that Cheer Jamboree at Camp Gottagrin. You even won the State Championships this past year. Of course, with that double-twisting flip with a hurkey kicker to the top of the pyramid you pulled at the end, it wasn't a hard call."

Emily nodded her agreement. "And that routine you designed had some major technical difficulty to it. I lost count of the number of planned near misses you guys pulled."

Kim smiled. "Really, it was no big. And credit should really go to the rest of the squad we had this year; they're the ones who worked hard and pulled off the routine. All I did was put it together."

The Guardian cheer captain grinned. "And that right there is why we want you on the team. You're a total team player, something we're always looking for on the squad."

Nina nodded. "Plus, we thought it was really cool the way you backed off when that Rockwaller girl stole the highlight move during the routine. She's just lucky the judges at the competition thought it was planned that way."

Kim smiled nervously, remembering how close she and Bonnie had come to cracking their skulls against one another and getting seriously hurt the previous March. Kim's high school rival had, for reasons known only to the leggy brunette, decided to turn her simple flip across the center into the second most difficult full tumbling pass in the routine. The pass itself was originally supposed to have come from the other side and belonged to Kim, and she had been in the beginning stages of it when Bonnie had made the decision. As a matter of fact, it was only the red-head's split-second agility reaction and decision to roll under the other girl so they didn't collide that had prevented a major catastrophe.

The rest of the squad had been anything but pleased with the tanned brunette's selfish show-off display, and, with absolutely no prodding from Kim, had informed Bonnie after the Championships that had she not been a senior they would have voted to kick her off the squad right then and there. As it was, even though Kim had tried to help the situation, the team had apparently decided to send a major message to Bonnie, because they never agreed to another routine for the rest of the year that had her in a featured move or a major spot position. In addition, Kim suspected that was also the point when Tara and Marcella had finally decided to sever the last of their ties to the snarky brunette's circle of cohorts, but the red-head had never brought it up to either of her friends.

Realizing she'd been drifting a little, Kim shook her head to clear it and smiled. "Really, it's no big. And the finale came off as better than the original because of that move. So, in a way, Bonnie helped us win by doing that."

Emily shook her head. "Maybe, but she did it in a way that promoted herself and not the squad. She's just like her older sister, Lonnie."

Monique blinked in surprise. "Wait, you know the Rockwallers?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately. My high school squad went up against Middleton a few years ago when I was a freshman and Lonnie Rockwaller was a senior. I don't know how she got it, but she held the captain position on that squad. And mostly due to her leadership, they were a bunch of snippy, stuck-up bitches that could barely function as a team. Seemed every single one of them was out for herself. In fact, I'll bet the only reason they ever won anything is because the judges couldn't stop ogling a bunch of long-blonde-haired, big-chested skanks who loved to show off." The resentment of that particular Middleton squad was clearly evident on her face.

Nina touched her friend's hand. "Q, don't sink to their level."

Kim cocked an eyebrow. "Q?"

Emily laughed. "My nickname. There's another Emily on the team, Emily Jackson, and rather than make it confusing everyone just calls her Emily and they call me 'Q'. They tried for a while calling us by our last names, but since mine's so long they just started calling me 'Q', and then it evolved to where she went back to Emily while I stuck with Q."

Kim grinned and shook the young woman's hand. "Well then, Q, I guess I'll start that too when I see you at tryouts on Friday."

Nina shook her head in surprise. "Tryouts? What do you mean by that?"

Kim smiled. "Well, I have to tryout just like everyone else, don't I?"

Emily cocked her head to the side and grinned. "Well I'll be. I'd heard you were down to earth, but I gotta admit even I never expected something like this."

"Like what?" asked Monique.

Nina grinned. "That Kim Possible would think she has to tryout to get on the cheer squad, that's what."

Kim blinked in confusion a few times before it hit her. "I appreciate that, really, but I'd rather you put me through the same tryout as everyone else. No offense, but I don't want it if it's just handed to me."

Emily smiled a bigger smile than she had the whole time they'd been talking. "Well, then I guess we'll see you then. Make sure you wear some good workout shorts and a shirt that isn't baggy and has either short sleeves or no sleeves. You'll also need some good tennis shoes with decent grip and good tread. Oh, and be sure you've got a sports bra on—a lot of jiggling actually hurts your competition scores at this level, so it can hurt you in the tryout phase as well."

Despite her awareness of her own deficiencies in that area, Kim slightly blushed at the matter-of-factness with which girl made the last remark. "Okay, sure. No big. See you then."

As they walked off, Nina gave her friend a good natured elbow. "Almost gave yourself away there with that whole spiel about your beef with Lonnie Rockwaller and her Middleton squad, Q."

Emily grinned. "If I had I would've explained it. It's not like it's some big secret, after all."

"So then why didn't you tell her? It might make for an interesting conversation."

The brunette shrugged. "I'm sure it'll come up later. Besides, there's not really that much family resemblance between me and him, so I doubt it'll even be an issue if I'm not the one to mention it."

**…**  
**…**

About the same time that Kim and Monique found a seat, Ron and Felix found themselves in the Bueno Nacho Express line faced with a pair of stunningly beautiful girls who had to be anything but freshman. Both were fully developed and deliciously curved, and each had an absolutely flawless face. Of course, the face wasn't what was seen first. Instead, the guys found themselves staring at the backs of a couple girls that they thought were supposed to be somewhere else.

"Hey, Tara, I thought you were in Nashville," said Felix as he tapped the blonde lightly on the shoulder with one of his chair's arms.

"And KP, I thought you and Monique were getting us a table to sit at," said Ron as he reached gently for the wrist of the red-head.

Both girls slowly turned around, and the guys immediately started hearing the words to a song about a pretty woman walking by playing in their heads. These two had to be models for sure, and the way the blonde was chewing a piece of gum was causing two male blood pressures to rise higher by the minute. At first, the girls looked rather snobby and stuck-up, but as soon as they laid eyes on Ron it was readily apparent that their demeanor immediately pulled a one-eighty.

"Sorry, honey, but my name's not Tara," the blonde let ooze seductively out of her mouth. "It's Rachael Garreth."

"And I'm Bricin Lambert," the red-head said with a sexy wink of her brilliant green eyes and a lick of her lips. "Though I'd be willing to change it for you, cutie pie," she added with a lean in towards Ron.

A wrist and a mechanical arm both shot back as if they'd received a jolt. Both Felix and Ron immediately felt their nervousness rising and did their best to compose themselves. As they looked at the two gorgeous women before them, they both fumbled for how to recover.

"Ummm…sorry…about that," Felix managed to stutter out.

"Ummm…yeah…we…we thought you were somebody else," Ron added with a gulp.

"And just who did you think we were?" Bricin said as she leaned in farther. Had Ron been any less of a gentleman, the look she was offering down her low-cut shirt she would have been a one-in-a-million view.

"Uhh…just a couple of girls we're friends with," replied Ron, his brow beginning to sweat as he fought to keep his eyes trained on anywhere above the young woman's nose. Even Kim, his fiancée, rarely offered private shows like the one he was currently receiving, and it was because of his desire to never hurt her that he was doing his best not to take advantage of the free peek.

"And who's that?" Rachael asked as she played with her gum in a manner that made the two friends very uncomfortable and yet unavoidably interested at the same time.

"Tara Matthews and Kim Possible," replied Felix, regaining his composure far ahead of his best friend; a definite uneasiness with the way the girls were acting accompanied the regaining of his head. "Though I get the feeling you probably don't know them."

"Don't know this Tara, that's for sure," answered Bricin. "But I have to say I'm flattered that you think I look like the Kim Possible. Actually, rumor has it she's attending here this year. Hard to imagine someone that famous attending some place like this."

For some reason, that comment brought Ron's head back to reality. "She is, actually. As a matter of fact, she's my girlfriend."

Bricin began running her hand up and down Ron's arm. "So that must mean you're the famous Ron Stoppable, the one who saved all of us a few months back. I'll bet you're really strong," she said as she gave his bicep a flirting squeeze.

Felix saw what was happening and sent one of his robotic arms to tap on Ron's shoulder. "Ron-man, we gotta get our food and get over to the table so we have time to eat before the assembly. Otherwise Monique and Kim are gonna be sitting there waiting while we have to rush through eating."

"Right, Felix," said Ron, his eyes showing his friend he was very grateful for the distraction tactics the young man had just employed. "Rachael, Bricin, it was nice to meet you. Maybe we'll see you around campus sometime."

With that, the two young men ordered their breakfasts and headed out into the seating area to find the table Kim and Monique were saving. As they left, the two girls eyed the blonde-haired one approvingly.

"Man, will you look at the butt on him?" Rachael said hungrily, her eyes scanning Ron like a female jaguar eyeing her next meal. "If he could be persuaded to wear some tighter pants, I'd be willing to wager every female head on campus would be turning when he walked by. I'll bet that Possible girl doesn't even realize what a hottie she snagged."

Bricin grinned as well. "And did you notice he only called her his 'girlfriend'. That means he hasn't decided whether or not he's in it for good or not. And with him about to become this school's new star running back, can you imagine what it would do for a girl's reputation to have him escorting her around? She'd be a shoe-in for the Homecoming queen for sure."

Rachael got a sudden idea. "Hey, why don't we do it then?"

Bricin squinted at the suggestion. "Do what?"

Rachael smacked her gum a few times. "Split them up, of course. I'm willing to bet that Dack or Nate would love to be able to order Possible around as their girlfriend."

Bricin sighed. "I don't know, Rach. I'd be open to including Nate Highland in this, but honestly Dack Daniels worries me a little. He can get a little too obsessed sometimes. Remember how he got last year with that girl from Paris during Spring Break?"

"That's why he's perfect to bring in on this. We just play up how much having the Kim Possible on his arm would help his chances at the Heisman this year. He's already in the running, and if we convince him that having her as arm candy would put him in the front of the pack, he'll do whatever it takes to make her his. We help him along, and then swoop in on the broken-hearted Stoppable and claim him for ourselves."

Bricin smiled, but eyed the other girl suspiciously. "But then who gets him when that happens?"

Rachael grinned nastily. "We'll let him pick. But until Possible's out of the picture, we'll agree to work together on this. Deal?"

"Deal," Bricin said with a major flip of her hair as they walked off with their hips swaying, causing several of the surrounding guys to drop their food while they enjoyed the show.

**…**  
**…**

The Jackson Center was huge, and its largest assembly area, Reese Hall, was easily large enough to house at least six grades of Middleton Public Schools with room to spare. As such, the back half of the seats had been taped off, preventing anyone from sitting back there. Not that Kim, Ron, Monique, and Felix could sit back there with Felix being in a wheelchair, but it still gave them an idea of things. They quickly began looking for a row with a handicap cut-out, something they found on the fifth row from the stage. As they filed into their seats, they noticed in awe just how many students there were already in the large room. It was also hard to miss just how many eyes were staring at them, or to ignore the excited whispers floating through the air.

"That's them, I swear."

"Oh man, Team Possible!"

"I can't believe it: Kim Possible! Here at G.V.U. like a normal person!"

"That's the guy who stopped the alien attack! That's the Ron Stoppable!"

"Who would have thought those two would come to college like normal people? They've already got great careers."

"Man, would I love to have had the life they've had."

As the whispers continued all around them, Monique leaned over to Kim and said, "I think it's safe to assume the rest of the student body knows you two are here, girl."

Kim smiled and sighed at the same time. "I just hope they realize we're just regular people trying to get an education just like they are."

Felix grinned. "Hate to say this, Kim, but you two are basically the most famous people on the planet. You've been like that since before I knew you guys."

Ron scratched his head. "But you didn't act like that when you met us."

Felix was about to reply when a man with salt-and-pepper hair and a woman with graying brown hair who both looked to be about in their mid-forties to early fifties walked out on the stage, causing the whole room to calm down a bit, though it was far from quiet. The man walked up to the podium in the center of the stage first. When the room failed to quiet down to a level that was at the man's liking, he made a very loud clearing of this throat.

"AHEM!"

The student body instantly dropped down a quiet chatter, which seemed to satisfy the man.

"That's better. I'm Dr. Harmon Claymore, and I am the President and interim Chancellor of Global Vanguard University. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to be the first to officially welcome you, the Freshman Class of 2006-2007, to our prestigious institution. I'd also like to extend an invitation to all of you to come out and support the Guardian football team in a few weeks on September 2nd when they take on the Wildcats of Upperton U. We need everyone out there to support our guys in their first game of the season." At the silence that followed, he added with a smile, "Now's the time for the cheering and noise-making."

There were several laughs intermingled with the cheers that went up all over the freshman student body. Several of the students yelled and waved their arms for several minutes. After a few, Dr. Claymore stepped back up to the podium.

"Very good. Now, you all come from different parts of the world, and all from different backgrounds. Here at G.V.U., we boast the most varied student body in the nation. As a matter of fact, the world has roughly 193 countries, and at this university, we have people from over 145 of those countries. And as for backgrounds, we have people from small towns of 30 to people from places like Tokyo, London, and New York City. We also have people from all walks of life, from students who came out of small indigenous Aboriginal tribes in the Australian Outback to a pair that chose us over every other institution in the world, the illustrious Team Possible. In fact, I believe I see Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable sitting right there in the fifth row."

"There goes the low profile," grumbled Kim as she and Ron smiled and gave courteous waves to the man who had basically pointed them out to the rest of the freshmen with a brightly lit neon sign.

"Now," continued Dr. Claymore, "I would just like to emphasize that Kim and Ron are normal people attending this institution like anybody else. I only brought up their presence so that they would not be mobbed during classes. We are all here to learn, and I am sure they value their education just as much as you value yours. So please, treat them no different than you would any other fellow students. We are all G.V.U. Guardians now, and Guardians treat each other with respect. Now, I would like to introduce the Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Residence Life, Dr. Claire Gordon."

There was a smattering of applause as the short woman made her way up to the podium, and a small amount of laughter as she apparently made a joke about needing a step stool or something to make it where she could reach the mike. Dr. Claymore was apparently in on the routine, because he had a few maintenance men bring out a step that was little more than a board and a ladder that was several feet too tall before a box was brought out that would suit the Dr. Gordon's needs.

"Ahh, that's better," she said with a smile and laugh as she stepped up on the soapbox-sized box. "Now I don't have to shout to get my voice to the microphone. As Dr. Claymore said, I am the Dean of Student Affairs, as well as the being the Director of Residence Life. Now, I'm sure you've all read your Guardian Manual, also known as your Student Handbook, by this point, so you have a rough idea about what we do here at G.V.U. for the most part. Now, I know some of you are wondering how this works, especially since I've had several of you come by my office the past few days to question me about how the degrees from this place operate. Basically, we have compiled a curriculum based on the top programs in the country and the world. Now, every single one of you is here on invitation, and for now, you are all here on scholarship. I feel I must clarify that that status can change if grades are not kept at high standards."

"Aww, man," complained Ron, who had struggled in high school somewhat.

"However, I assure you that the classes we have are not impossible. As the Dean of Student Affairs, I handle everything from tutoring to scholarship help. As a matter of fact, most of you probably recognize my name from your invitation letters, right under those of Dr. Claymore and the Dean of Admissions, Dr. William Marks. Rest assured we are not here to try to make you fail. Rather, we strive every year for a 100% graduation rate. It's a mark we have yet to hit, but I feel sure that this will be the freshman class that breaks the mold. Just remember, the help is here, but you have to be the ones to come ask for it. As a matter of fact, we will be open today after your first S.P.E.A.R session for any and all students who want to get a jump on things now."

Kim smiled and looked over at her boyfriend with a smile. "Guess where we're going after that class."

Ron sighed. "I figured you were going to say that."

Kim grinned. "Hey, don't worry. I'm going as much for myself as for you, Ronnie. I'm thinking she's the one we need to talk to about the leaving on missions."

Dr. Gordon continued. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. program is, and it will be explained further when you go to the first one immediately following this. However, for now, let me give a brief explanation. The S.P.E.A.R., or Student Plan for Education and Adjusting to Residency, is simply something we have come up with here at G.V.U. to help new students adapt to your new surroundings and become more involved in campus life. We want all of you to hit the ground running from the very start, and the S.P.E.A.R. program helps make that a reality. I now turn it over to one of our skilled music directors, Dr. Gregory Black, and the Guardian Choir, who will teach you two things you need to know as new members of the Guardian family—the G.V.U. fight song and the alma mater."

At that point, Ron basically checked out mentally; fight songs and alma maters had never held much interest for him. (In fact, he didn't know a single word of the Middleton High alma mater, although Kim had tried many times to teach it to him.) Kim, Monique, and Felix all tried to keep up with the singing and pick up the words, but none of them had any real success. All they managed to get out of it was that the last line of the alma mater mentioned something about:

_We know you'll keep us sheltered.  
To you, G.V.U., we will always be true._

Suspecting that it might be something good to know for the cheer tryouts on Friday, Kim recorded the last renditions of the two songs into her Kimmunicator, although she wasn't sure how good she was going to get since she was surrounded by people who were making bad attempts at singing along. She figured she could have Wade clean it up for her later. She also realized it was odd that Wade hadn't called either her or Ron to check in on how their move went. Kim suspected it might be because he was respecting their first few days, but she still felt like she should call him up to chat at the very least. She put a note into her Kimmunicator's calendar application, as well as marking the date of the first football game, September 2nd. That's when she realized it.

If the game was September 2nd, then that meant that her present for Ron was going to have to be rescheduled, particularly if he was going to react the way she suspected he might. She made a note next to his birthday to talk to him about it, and settled back to enjoy the rest of the choir's performance and the end of the assembly.

**…**  
**…**

Ron had a panicked look on his face when the assembly finally let out around 9:35. The walk down to the Jackson Center had taken almost fifteen minutes in itself, and that had been from the Sentinel Station in the middle of campus. Add in another ten minutes to Patriot Towers, plus the five it would take just to get to his room and grab his book and workbook. That would leave no time to get to the first session of the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. over at Quigley Hall. Of course, if he had the books with him now, the trek to Quigley would only take fifteen minutes at the most, especially since they were closer to the building now than they would be if they were at Patriot Towers. And that would be if they walked at an extremely leisurely pace.

The blonde-haired young man found himself wishing he'd thought to bring the Phoenix down to the Center, but Kim had insisted they walk as much as possible so that they could get used to living without the vehicles. That meant that his brand new motorcycle was still sitting in the Patriot Towers parking lot over on the other side of campus under its protective tarp, the latter of which had been a "gift" from Hana (meaning that it had actually come from his parents). What made the situation more frustrating was that Kim, Monique, and even Felix seemed to have absolutely no sympathy for him.

"C'mon, KP, I've got to hurry if I'm gonna even come close to making it to Quigley Hall in time," he complained as the rest of them walked along casually.

Kim sighed. "Ron, if you'd just listened to us when we said grab them before breakfast, you wouldn't be in this predicament."

Ron shook his head. "Alright, I know I messed up. Can we please hurry?"

Monique smiled. "You know, Ron, you don't need us to go with you to grab the books. You could always go by yourself."

"That's…" Ron began. "That's BRILLIANT! With my speed, maybe I can make it just in time." With that, he broke into a run, flying down the sidewalks as fast as his legs could carry him, his knapsack making an audible banging as it repeatedly knocked against his back.

As he took off, Felix looked at the girls with a laughing smile. "How far are you going to let him get before you call him and tell him that you had me grab his books, Kim?"

Kim smiled. "Oh, I figure I'll give him another minute or two. That ought to put him pretty close to Quigley."

A few minutes later, she pressed the 2-button on her Kimmunicator, calling her boyfriend's version of the device. He came on the screen panting and apparently still running.

"What's…up…KP?"

Kim smiled. "Ron, you're not going to find the books in your room."

Since the background stopped flying behind him, she could only assume he'd paused. "What…are you…talking about? Did I leave them…in your Unit…by chance?"

Kim shook her head, still grinning. "No. Look around and tell me where you are."

Ron glanced to both sides. "Uhh…looks like…right next to…to Quigley Hall."

The red-head tilted her head. "Now, I'm asking you to wait there. Where do you think that means your books are?"

Ron rolled his eyes, knowing she had successfully predicted this very situation. "Thanks…KP. Lesson…learned."

She giggled. "No big. We'll be there in a few. Just remember to take slow, deep breaths."

A few minutes later, Kim and the other two found him hunched over on a bench, his breathing just now calming down as he continued to take deep breaths. Felix grinned and pulled his friend's book and workbook out of the satchel strapped to the back of his wheelchair.

"I'll say this," the young man said with a smile. "Your fiancée can read you like a book, Ron-man."

"I'll laugh when I can do it without wheezing," Ron replied, taking a few more deep breaths.

As they entered the building and found the room where the seminar was taking place, they discovered that they were indeed lucky to have all four of them in the same S.P.E.A.R. class. The university might be requiring all incoming freshmen to take the class, but they'd broken it up into classes of about twenty. In this particular room, there were ten two-person tables arranged in a sort of double horseshoe fashion. As the four of them grabbed some seats on the left side of the inner horseshoe, a couple students came up to ask Kim and Ron for autographs, which they gladly gave on the condition that the students treat them like regular people. The autograph hounds were apparently surprised by this request, but agreed quickly.

A few minutes later, a woman came in carrying what looked like a larger version of the skinny textbook they'd been assigned. She was wearing jeans and a shirt that looked like a British flag, as well as large, circular, black-rimmed glasses that made her look somewhat bug-like. Looking at her, Kim could swear she couldn't be much older than they were. When she spoke, it was with a thick accent that Kim could almost peg to the London area.

"Welcome, welcome everyone. My name's Katie Ryan and I'll be leading this particular class of the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. Now, as you may have guessed from the way I'm dressed, I'm not a professor at this institution, although I am working on that. I'm currently a second-year graduate student working on getting my teaching degrees and obtaining my teaching license. However, until that happens, you can all call me Katie. For those wondering about my accent, I hail from the great city across the ocean of London, England, although technically I was born in Loughton, a town in Essex, located about 21 kilometers northeast of Charing Cross in London. But I lived in London most of my life until I came here to go to school almost six years ago. And I must say, you Yanks still offer a much more fascinating life in my eyes that any of my countrymen ever did. However, despite living here in the States for nearly six years, my accent refuses to disappear, though I do tend to talk more like you now than I used to. Still, if you ever have any trouble understanding me or what I'm saying, don't be afraid to ask me to rephrase or repeat."

She turned to write her name and the information on the marker board, and evidently one of the guys in the class decided to test her right off the bat by tossing a paper ball at the back of her head. Kim was about to say something when the young woman spun around on the ball of her foot, using the marker as a bat to send the ball right back at the offender, causing it to bonk him on the nose. She kept spinning right back to her original position, acting as if nothing had happened and continuing to write. Twenty jaws dropped open, and all eyes were immediately glued on her. When she did turn around again, she still had a genuine smile on her face.

"Now, what is the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R.? Literally put, it stands for the Student Plan for Education and Adjusting to Residency. But what does that mean specifically? In layman's terms, this class is designed to help you acclimate from your old environment of high school to the new life you embark on in college. Now for some of you, this might be easier than others. Some of you, such as Mr. Stoppable over there, might already have careers picked out and groups you're already a part of. And by the way, Ron, I only know that about you because my boyfriend happens to be part of the G.V.U. Culinary Institute and an avid Guardian Football fan. He's been talking about you non-stop ever since you and Miss Possible held that press conference in July."

Ron smiled nervously.

"And speaking of Miss Possible," the young woman continued as she turned to Kim, "I understand that you have yet to pick a major. Well, don't you worry about that one bit. As a matter of fact, I can about guarantee that at least seven or eight of the people in this class who already have a course of study picked will change it before you graduate. If you go by the statistics, at least 45-50% of young people who enter this college exit its hallways with a different degree than the one they originally intended to get. Now, since we're going to be spending a fair amount of time together like this during this semester, why don't we go around the room and get to know a little about each other? How about we start with you in the wheelchair? Tell us your name, your hometown, your planned major, and something about yourself."

Felix smiled. "Well, I'm Felix Renton of Middleton, Colorado. I'm actually going for a double major in Robotics and Medicine, though I'm not sure exactly what kind of Medicine yet. As for something about myself, I'm engaged, and my beautiful fiancée Zita is currently going through the Computer Graphics Design program on the other side of town at Upperton U."

A small amount of clapping followed.

Ron grinned. "Okay, I'm uhh…Ron Stoppable, also of Middleton, Colorado. As Katie said, I'm going for a major in Culinary Arts, mainly because I don't have that many developed real world skills other than cooking. And when it comes to something about me, I'm usually never without my little mole rat buddy Rufus, although he decided to sleep in this morning."

More clapping followed.

Kim took a deep breath before smiling. "The name is Kim Possible, another Middleton native. Not really sure what I want to major in simply because I seem to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none at this point, meaning I can do a lot of things but nothing really piques my interest more than anything else at this point. And if you want to know something about me, well…I guess I would have to say that I have absolutely no skill in the kitchen. Which is kind of why I'm glad I hooked up this guy," she added as she ruffled Ron's hair.

Monique smiled. "Hi, Monique Watson, fourth and final Middleton native in the room. The major for this sister is definitely Fashion Design and Merchandising, just because I've always loved designing outfits. And for something about me…I'd have to say that I can play a mean blues harmonica, thanks to my brother giving me my first one and then teaching me every style of playing he knew."

Kim looked at her BFF in surprise. "You never told me you could do that, Mon."

Monique smiled. "Never a good time to really bring it up," she said with a shrug.

The rest of the people in the room gave answers varying in location from Upperton all the way to a girl who hailed all the way from Shanghai. The majors were also scattered and varied, from one who wanted a career in his small hometown's politics to another whose entire plan consisted of going from college hoops straight to the NBA. Kim was also relieved to hear that she was one of three or four who hadn't yet decided on a major, a fact that made her feel about a hundred times less nervous.

After the last person had given their introductions, Katie turned back towards the board. "Alright, while this class isn't graded, it is a participation credit. As far as I'm concerned, you could come in here every day and fall asleep, as long as you do it after I call roll. I also ask that you always bring both your guidebook and your workbook to class every single day. Now, as for when we meet, this class will meet from now on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:00 in the afternoon. Now I realize that the two football players in here, Ron and Keith, will have to leave early on Fridays, but as I said this class is graded on attendance and not so much on class work. Most of the information I'm going to give you guys will deal with things that will either help make your transition to college life easier or help to make it more enjoyable; sometimes it'll do both. Just remember to keep an open mind here. A lot of what you're going to face might seem quite a bit different than anything you dealt with back in your hometowns."

"Like what?" said Ron, a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, let me put it this way," Katie replied. "Your high school consisted mostly of people whose parents held some similar values to what your parents held, simply because you all live in the same town. But someone from a some gated community on the outskirts of Los Angeles isn't going to hold the same things and values close to their heart as someone who hails from the slums of St. Petersburg, Russia. And as Dr. Claymore told you at the assembly, we currently have students here from over 145 countries, which means that you're probably going to run in to at least three people with different values from your own in every single class. What you do with that information will shape your college experience now and for the next four years."

After the S.P.E.A.R. let out, Kim immediately took Ron over to the Department of Student Affairs to get information on the various help offered to students having trouble with their studies. Then the two of them joined Monique and Felix back at Patriot Towers to drop off their book bags and get some downtime and a bite to eat. However, Ron's downtime was cut short when Felix handed him a note that the young man had found slid under their Unit door.

_Ron,_  
_Team meeting and practice at 12:00. Don't worry about eating—Coach D.'s gonna feed us.  
Vinnie_

"Who's Vinnie?" Kim asked, feeling an odd tingling on the back of her neck.

"Vinnie James. The starting QB," replied Ron as he grabbed his keys and planted a kiss on his girl's lips. "See you afterwards, KP. Maybe we can grab a bite together then."

"Hey, Ron?" Kim asked as he started to leave. "Do you think Coach Devereaux would mind if I came down to watch the practice? I haven't seen you out against those bigger guys yet."

Ron scratched his head. "I guess so. I mean, there're normally a few people watching in the stands. So I don't think it would a problem."

**…**  
**…**

As she watched the practice, Kim began to instantly agree with Ron's assessment that Coach Devereaux was a coach who could push his players hard. It seemed like he only allowed water breaks when every single player was at their breaking point. The team also seemed to be running every single play a dozen or so times, even after they had it perfect. And it seemed any mistakes were instantly rewarded with the whole team doing push-ups or running sprints. Even perfect plays were barely rewarded with gratitude. At first, she began to wonder if Devereaux was even completely sane, as several players seemed to be constantly hitting their limits.

However, as the practice progressed, Kim began to notice something extraordinary. The more the players were required to push their limits before a break, the farther those limits seemed to stretch. It was especially noticeable with the freshmen, Ron included. When the realization hit her, she decided to keep track of how long before Ron needed another break; to her surprise, he went almost twice as long between his second and third breaks as he had between the first and second one. Kim suspected that Ron didn't even notice that he appeared to be pushing himself farther than she'd ever seen him go. As things continued, Kim got a smile on her face that kept growing—Ron had indeed matured from his "King of Marinating" younger self. Plus, she was finally starting to understand what Bonnie had meant their junior year when she had told her then boyfriend Brick Flagg that she liked it when he glistened. Not that she'd ever let Ron get so much as a kiss without showering first, but it was still a nice picture for her mind's eye.

Afterwards, as they headed from the field house back up to the main campus, Kim couldn't help but notice something unexpected. Though his face looked tired, Ron's eyes held a sense of pride that she'd only seen a few times—the Junior Prom, the day of graduation, the night he'd proposed to her, and a few other select times.

"What'd you think, KP?" he asked with a tired smile.

Kim grinned. "Well, for one thing, I think I'm probably going to get a lot of practice with giving you backrubs."

Ron smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "To tell the truth, I feel like I could take on a mission right now and be fully charged."

Kim shook her head. "Don't say that Ron. We've had a couple days of peace here, and I don't want to jinx…"

_Beep, Beep, Be-Deep._

The two teens looked at each other and sighed.

"Go Wade," Kim said with a smile at her wrist Kimmunicator.

The tech genius had a worried look on his face. "You guys good for a battle suit mission?"

Kim looked at Ron worriedly for a second. "Why? What's the sitch?"

"Dementor's back. And the Mark I battle suit looks like it's been heavily modified, even more so than when June and Xander faced him over the Atlantic this summer."

Ron shrugged. "Guess we've got no choice."

Kim nodded. "Where's the pick-up?"

Wade grimaced. "No pick-up. Dementor's heading for G.V.U., and he'll be there in twenty."

* * *

a/n

If you haven't noticed, I have a poll up on my profile page that I'd like everyone to take a look at and vote in if possible. I'm just trying to gauge the reactions to a certain character.

And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Chapter 5 is up and running!

Dementor's coming, and the battle is going to hold a few surprise revelations that might shake Team Possible to the core.

A couple of new allies prepare for what they think is coming.

Kim and Ron have a heart to heart about the fight, and Kim is forced to face a growing problem.

A key character has a big decision on his mind.

Another pair of allies finally see their work bear fruit, and the results are more than a little surprising.

The friends find out a few things about each other, including one dark secret.

And then a couple of surprises in the classroom.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"Go Wade," Kim said with a smile at her wrist Kimmunicator.

The tech genius had a worried look on his face. "You guys good for a battle suit mission?"

Kim looked at Ron worriedly for a second. "Why? What's the sitch?"

"Dementor's back. And the Mark I battle suit looks like it's been heavily modified, even more so than when June and Xander faced him over the Atlantic this summer."

Ron shrugged. "Guess we've got no choice."

Kim nodded. "Where's the pick-up?"

Wade grimaced. "No pick-up. Dementor's heading for G.V.U., and he'll be there in twenty."

Kim and Ron looked at each other incredulously before they looked back at the Kimmunicator on her wrist. Had they heard that right?

"Wade, dude, are you sure about that?" Ron asked with a puzzled look.

Wade nodded grimly. "Apparently, he knows you two are on the campus, and he's flying there right now to take you guys on."

Kim shook her head in disbelief. "Not that we can't take him, but doesn't he realize this place is sponsored by Global Justice?"

The young man shrugged. "I would guess he does, but I can't say for sure. I mean, the three of us didn't even know they were involved with that place until this summer when we looked into it. To the outside observer, it looks like just another normal college."

Ron smiled. "So he might not even realize he's heading into a hotbed of potential agents."

Wade sighed. "Ron, we don't even know for sure just how much of the faculty have any sort of training. For all we know, you two are going to be the only defense against him. And don't forget he's wearing Kim's old battle suit that he's modified for his own purposes."

Kim nodded grimly. "Alright then—we'll suit up and be waiting for him. Any guesses where his attack is gonna start from?"

The tech genius shook his head. "Your guesses are as good as mine at this point. Once he gets closer, I might be able to direct you to a better position, but right now he could be landing anywhere. Just be ready."

"We will," she replied as the screen blinked off. Turning towards her partner, she couldn't help a dry laugh. "Guess we'll get to see just how pumped you are from that practice, huh?"

"Aww, man. And here I was getting in the mood for that backrub."

* * *

Several miles away and closing fast, a blue and white blur was streaking across the rapidly darkening sky. Most who saw the speeding figure thought it might be some sort of small plane or other air vehicle that was so common around this area, particularly with the two local young people who were always catching rides on various experimental or secret aircraft. Not a one of them suspected that this particular flying object intended to do Team Possible harm rather than good.

As he flew over the landscape of Colorado, Hans Demends, known to most of the world as the mad Austrian scientist Professor Dementor, couldn't help but laugh to himself. However, that laughter was also tinged with angry growls. This past summer, he had been sure he had the advantage, but once again the fraulein and her so-called-boyfriend had foiled his plans. Dementor still did not know how the young man had managed to conjure up blasts similar to the preferred attacks of his fellow villainess Shego, but it would not matter this time.

_No matter what new tricks they may have this time, I shall BE THE ONE WHO IS VICTORIOUS AND DISHES OUT THE SURPRISES!_

The plan was simple, and it surprised Dementor he had never thought of this while they were still in high school. He would attack them at school, the place they least expected it happen. His assault would be swift and unexpected, and it would lead to victory in no time at all. For this time, he really was the invincible one-man army he had originally intended to be. In addition to the numerous armaments he added last time, his most recent upgrades included a modification to the shields that allowed him to use them as a repelling/shoving weapon. Unfortunately, he still hadn't been able to find the power needed for the stealth abilities, but stealth was not his objective here. No, the only satisfying objective this time would be the complete and utter destruction of the two troublesome young people who had for so long been a constant thorn in his side. If not for them, the world would have long ago fallen at his feet.

**…**  
**…**

Kim and Ron stood out in the open air of one of the grassy fields of the G.V.U. campus. Both were fully outfitted in their Mark II battle suits, and had their mission senses on full alert. Periodically, they would put their scanning of the sky on hold to make sure that no students or civilians had wandered out to see what they were doing. They had chosen this particular field to wait for the arrival of Professor Dementor for two reasons—one, it was in a relatively open area, and two, it was near the center of campus, meaning they could get to relatively anywhere else within a minute or two. The downside of that second part was that it meant that if he decided to attack them head on at this spot, there was a good chance some of the student body could possibly be involved and sustain injury.

To counteract this problem, their plan was simple. The minute that Dementor appeared, they would engage him and lead him to a less used area of the campus, such as down near the football team's practice field. That was where they hoped the majority of the fighting would take place, especially since there was no way for them to know just how much the Austrian mad genius had modified Kim's old battle suit, nor could they know how much firepower he had added to it. From what their future daughter June and her companion Xander had been able to relate to them about the time-traveling pair's encounter with him earlier that summer, they'd managed to surprise him before he could use any of the weapons they suspected he'd added. But also thanks to June's description of what was supposed to have happened in the original timeline, Kim and Ron knew that Dementor had greatly expanded on the suit's offensive capabilities.

"Any sign of him?" Ron asked as he craned his neck straight up at the stars.

"No, though I suspect he's coming from the east, not from straight above us," Kim said with a smile. She pushed the call button on her Kimmunicator. "Got any readings yet, Wade?"

"Judging by his speed, he's about two minutes out, so you should be able to see him soon. Oh, and Betty said that she's trying to scramble an agent team to your location to assist. She also said she doesn't care if, quote, 'Team Possible created this monster.' Close quote. Dementor is attacking what is considered to be a Global Justice facility, so that means they have just as much jurisdiction on this thing as you two do."

Ron couldn't help a grin. "Man, KP, she is going to hold that declaration you made about the Adrena Lynn fight this spring over our heads for the rest of our lives."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Well, it was true, Ron. And she knows it, too."

Ron nodded. "Maybe, but you have to admit that sometimes you refuse help even when you need it."

Kim shot an icy glance at him. "And the point to discussing this now is?"

Ron fixed his eyes east for a minute before giving her a reply. "Just remember that both of us have battle suits now. You don't always have to be the one pulling off everything spectacular in this fight."

Kim smiled and inched over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You got it…partner."

Ron grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but his train of thought was evidently interrupted when his face immediately got a serious look on it. "Looks like it's show time. Austrian mad genius at 2 o'clock and closing fast."

Kim looked where he'd indicated, and sure enough, there was a blue and white streak heading straight for them. She was about to streak towards him when Ron dove in front of her, his defense screens on full power just seconds before a red laser beam would have bisected her down the middle. If Kim had taken off, it would have been a quick end for the teen heroine. She smiled at him, nodding her thanks.

"Okay, we know for sure he's upgraded the abilities now," joked Ron.

"Appreciate the save, Ron, but get serious!" she said with a loving yet stern glare at him. "Okay, Attack Pattern Twelve!"

Ron had a confused look. "But we don't have a twelve, KP."

Kim smiled and cocked her eyebrow at him. "Think of it as a Pattern Two with the roles reversed."

Ron nodded his understanding. "You got it KP."

It was the first time they'd tried the flight capabilities since Wade had given them the new suits. Ron had originally thought he'd used his suit's flight ability during the time they'd been both been turned evil that summer. However, Wade's analysis of the suit had proven that, while the new battle suit had assisted his jumping and strength, the blonde-haired young man's hovering during the fight with June, Xander, and Shego had been due entirely to his Mystical Monkey Powers. So although they both had brave looks on their faces, each one felt like their insides were jelly. But still they activated the sonic repulsor jets Wade had installed into the boots of the Mark II battle suits. Oddly enough, the resulting actions were the last thing they expected.

Surprisingly, Ron took to the air like a duck to water, as if he'd flown all his life; Kim on the other hand wobbled around like it was her first time on skates! Her wobbling would have seemed funny to them in any other sitch, but this was a terrible time to find out this might be another thing that she had trouble with. Thinking quickly, Ron grabbed her hand, and instantly Kim was able to steady herself. A quick nod told him she was now fine, and when he let go, she shot straight at Dementor as if she'd been flying her whole life. Normally that would be Ron's route, but he was now following her normal path and flying in a wide arc that would bring him up on the yellow-skinned villain's left side. The plan was that the Austrian would have most of his focus on Kim's distraction, allowing Ron to catch him at least a little bit off-guard.

Unfortunately, the reversal of roles did little to distract Dementor from what was happening. Rather than try to fend off two attacks at once, he simply fired up his defense screens, causing both of them to bounce off. However, that wasn't before they both received quite the electric shock that made them spasm painfully for a few seconds!

"Ah ha, Fraulein Possible! How do you two like mein NEW DEFENSE SCREENS? Or ze FACT dat you will now be sent to crushing defeat BY YOUR OWN SUPER SUIT!"

Kim shook off the effects of the jolt. "Sorry, Dementor, but that's not my suit anymore. And we'll have no trouble destroying it. Especially since we now have the new models." To prove her point, she charged him again, the purple bands of her Mark II suit flaring brilliantly against the night sky.

Dementor was again about to raise his defense screens when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Looking behind him, he was shocked to see Ron floating there as if he were bored.

The young man's amusement was apparent. "You know dude, you're not too smart. I've been sitting here for almost thirty seconds, and had to poke you to get you to notice me."

Dementor quickly recovered from his surprise. "No, so-called-boyfriend! It is you who are not too smart, for you challenge me when I COULD EASILY CRUSH YOU LIKE A FLY! For you have no springy-step super suit, while I am ZE INVINCIBLE ONE-MAN BLITZKRIEG!"

Ron couldn't help but laugh. "For a mad scientist guy, you're not very observant, Hans."

"I AM PROFESSOR DEMENTOR!" the short yellow-skinned man roared. "AND VHAT COULD POSSSIBLY MAKE YOU THINK YOU STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME?"

He felt another tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he found himself face to face with one very amused yet ticked red-head. "If you haven't noticed, you and I aren't the only ones with suits here, Dementor."

Dementor quickly hovered back, sending dual concussion blasts from the wrist gauntlets he'd installed. One caught Kim on the shin, while the other caught Ron on the upper arm. It was only a very quick reaction from both that kept them from losing those limbs, instead coming away with bruises they were definitely going to feel tomorrow. In response, they both charged him again. However, it was a feint on both parts, as they attempted to anticipate his reaction. Thankfully, they guessed right.

Instead of using his shield to repel them, he used two of the same laser beam that had a few moments earlier nearly bisected Kim down the middle. Guessing that this is what the Austrian mad genius would pull on them, they already had their morphing cesta baskets ready. Acting in perfect sync, they both caught a blast and hurled it back at him; Kim threw hers at the villain's chest while Ron threw his at his legs. Both shots were reflected at such close range that all Dementor had time to do was throw his arms in the path of the blasts and barely get his shield up. As a result, one of his wrist gauntlets was fried to the core, and began continuously sparking.

"NOOO, MEIN LASERS!"

**…**  
**…**

On the ground below, a crowd of students had gathered to watch the fight. The light show going on above their heads held a mesmerizing effect over all of them, ensnaring their attentions and refusing to let go. Chief among them was a group consisting of Rachael Garreth, Bricin Lambert, Dack Daniels, and Nate Highland, all of whom were talking in hushed whispers and watching Team Possible more than the fight itself. Meanwhile, just a few feet away, three pairs of eyes were locked not on the overhead battle, but on the suspicious group that was watching it like a pack of ravenous vultures.

"I don't like it," Nina said with a hiss. "Those four are acting way too interested in this."

Vinnie nodded his head. "I'm with you. And something tells me whatever they're planning can't be good."

Emily spat on the ground in a very un-lady-like fashion. "Well, whatever it is, I'm willing to bet that Garreth and Lambert are the masterminds behind it. Dack may be obsessively one-minded, but he'd need brains to pull something off. Unfortunately though, the hardest one to get a bead on is Nate Highland. After what Rachael did to his brother, I'd be pretty surprised if he's a hundred percent in on this."

Vinnie snorted. "To tell the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if he turns into more of a threat to those two than Daniels. Like you said, Dack can be bull-headed, but Nate tends to be more calculating. But like you, I'm more concerned what Rachael and Bricin are planning."

Emily sighed. "Either way, we're going to have to keep an eye on them."

Nina nodded. "Agreed."

**…**  
**…**

In the sky above, it was turning into a decidedly a one-sided fight. It seemed that Dementor had thrown practically everything he could at Kim and Ron from the arsenal he had built into the stolen Mark I battle suit, but up till now they'd anticipated practically everything and proved the superiority of their Mark II versions. The only thing he'd been able to surprise them with so far was the electrified screens, and now they were adopting a "once bitten, twice shy" approach to counter that maneuver.

Ron was so convinced they had the height-challenged villain in a state of frustration that he was even beginning to joke a little. "You know dude, you're a terrible fighter. I'm beginning to understand why you use henchmen so much."

Dementor was incensed. "I may use mein henchmen more zan most, but mein intelligence more zan makes up for mein shortcomings. For example, I'll bet YOU ARE NOT EXPECTING THIS!"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than his defense shield began quickly expanding outwards in a pair of grotesque appendages, one aiming for Ron and the other for Kim. Ron managed to just barely dodge out of the way of his by a fraction of a centimeter. However Kim, seemingly tripped up by her inexperience with hovering combat, mistimed her dodge and ended up caught. It was only a hint of a touch around her toes, but the energy rapidly spread until it was surrounding her from neck to toe. It quickly became apparent to all those present that these new "arms" had the same electrical abilities the normal shield had, because the young heroine immediately began to convulse, an expression of pain drawn tight across her face as the shock coursed through her body.

"KIM!" Ron screamed, the sight of his fiancée's distress sparking something inside of him.

In the blink of an eye, he'd charged at the mad Austrian genius who was hurting his love, laying a vicious punch with his right fist right across that yellow-skinned jaw. The force of the blow surprised everyone, and its viciousness caused a few of the students down below to elicit something that was a cross between a gasp and a scream. Before anyone could realize what was happening, the villain had caught a second blow from the young man's other fist that sent him flying backwards while the energy appendage that had a hold of Kim released its hold. Unable to remain airborne, she began plummeting towards the ground. Ron saw it happening, but even as he dashed down to catch her he knew he'd never close the distance in time to make a safe catch—the distance that had been between them was simply too great!

With approximately fifteen feet to go until she hit the ground, a pair of robotic arms shot forth out of the crowd and quickly wrapped around Kim's stunned form, instantly and gently slowing her descent to a safe float before bringing her the rest of the way down. Knowing that Felix had the situation well in hand, Ron turned to face the one who had done this, but evidently the Austrian mad genius knew when he was beaten, for he was currently making a hasty retreat. Ron's rage at such a cowardly act caused his blood to boil and the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Without thinking he started to zoom after Dementor; the only thought on his mind was turning that electrical field on its owner until the villain passed out. However, he was stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice.

"Ron!" Wade said with a sense of calming urgency. "Do not go after him. I repeat, do not go after Dementor."

Ron stopped in mid-air and yanked his own wrist up towards his face. "Wade, if I don't…"

Wade continued to stay calm. "Then he gets away. Right now, Kim's more important, and she needs you."

Ron took a deep breath, realizing his friend was right. Then he turned back towards the open field where he knew his red-headed love was laying. "On my way back. And Wade?"

"Yeah Ron?" the tech genius said with a smile.

"Thanks."

**…**  
**…**

Thirty miles east and leaving fast, Dementor shook his head and worked his jaw, trying to make sure nothing was broken or out of place. The fury of the young man's attack had taken him by complete surprise, and it worried him greatly. He knew the battle suit the boy was wearing had enhanced his strength and speed, but there had been something almost inhuman about those two last punches. Even more amazing, and somewhat frightening, was that Dementor had immediately fired up the defensive bubble when he saw the first punch flying, intending to ward off the young man's attack with another shocking lesson. However, Stoppable had driven right through the shield as if it were nothing. The Austrian had even seen the sparks coursing along the boy's body, yet it might as well have been feathers trying to stop a wrecking ball for all the good it did to halt the assault.

What worried, or rather _intrigued_, Dementor most however was that dark look he had seen in Stoppable's eyes at the moment the punch came flying. It had been as if he were looking into the eyes of the young man's dark mirror reflection, and the prospect of what that could mean both excited and terrified the villain. He had heard tales of this…Zorpox, was it?…at various villain trade shows and conventions, but this was the first time he had seen even a glimpse of the persona that seemed to terrify one particular green-suited former villainess. The fact that Shego, who until recently had been widely considered to be one of the toughest evil-doers around, was wary of the alter ego of Kim Possible's sidekick had sent many a heads to scratching, but if tonight's encounter were any indication, Dementor no longer had any doubts.

And at the back of the professor's mind, another thought was slowly taking shape, one that held both great appeal and great danger. It would be like playing with a firestorm while covered in gasoline, but as the idea began to take roots its progress could be seen in the maniacal smile that was slowly spreading across a yellow face. It would take time and careful planning, but if it worked, Dementor would gain a powerful ally to help him take down a certain teenaged menace.

* * *

Talk about the previous night's fight seemed to be all anybody in G.V.U.'s Sentinel Station was interested in when Kim and Ron entered the student cafeteria Tuesday morning. Surprisingly, it wasn't so much about how it took place as where it took place. Like Kim and Ron, the entire student body seemed mystified as to why Professor Dementor had chosen to attack them at school, and why Global Justice had done little if anything about it. More alarming however, was that it seemed most of the student body wasn't even aware that Global Vanguard University was very closely affiliated with the worldwide spy network.

However, even more confusing than that was the apparent lack of interest that, although she had made that spiel about "jurisdiction", Dr. Director and the rest of Global Justice were paying to the situation. Despite being there in the campus clinic personally and asking Kim and Ron a few questions about what had transpired, the leader of Global Justice had seemed mysteriously evasive and almost aloof in the discussion. And further confusing Team Possible was how quickly they'd been shooed out and discharged from the G.V.U. medical facility. Normally after mission de-briefings that involved Global Justice, Kim and Ron would get at least a few minutes to ask questions pertaining to the operation, but for some reason they had been dismissed this time without getting that opportunity.

As they grabbed their breakfasts, Kim and Ron found themselves wishing that Monique and Felix were eating with them, as it would have been nice to have the outside point of view on the puzzling sitch. However, whereas Kim and Ron's first class wasn't until 9:30 AM and their friends both had 8:00 AM classes, that wasn't going to happen. They might be lucky to get a few minutes of chat time to discuss it right before the class started, but that would probably be it. However, that didn't stop them from going after the topic; or at least, one of them was trying to.

"Ron, will you drop it? I made a mistake, that's all," Kim said with a much harder bite into her bagel than was necessary.

"Look, KP, I'm just worried, alright? That didn't seem like you last night. I mean, it was almost as if you were afraid to go all out against Dementor, and I don't think I've ever seen you do anything with less than 110% effort." Ron's concern was evident both on his face and on his food tray, as he still had over eighty percent of his meal left, even with Rufus's help.

Kim's annoyed sigh followed another harder than necessary bite into her bagel. "Ron, we had no idea what Dementor had done to 'improve' the Mark I prior to the fight, so of course I was a little cautious."

Ron stared at her for a moment before continuing. "That's not what I'm talking about, Kim. You were all for flying at him, but it seemed like you were trying to leave something off of everything you threw at him. Like you were afraid to let yourself relax and go all out. And if he'd had any sort of fighting skills, it could have ended up a lot worse than a quick check-up at the clinic. If it hadn't been for the battle suit, I'd understand, but you knew he had it and still acted like you were sparring with him. Why?"

Kim stopped chewing for a second, and pondered the question. Why had she been hesitant to go all out when it was clearly warranted? Right from the start, there had been no question that Dementor's intentions were lethal, evidenced by the laser beam that had nearly cut her in half at the beginning of the fight. Knowing that, she should have been going after Dementor like she used to go after Shego, like she'd gone after Adrena Lynn that May. Yet for some reason, she hadn't let herself get to that place she was so used to, where she could let everything out and go full tilt. Why had she done that?

Honestly, she knew why, and the thought kept picking in the back of her mind like an itch she was unable to scratch. Back when she'd been turned to evil, she'd been able to have what amounted to a face to face conversation with the personification of her darkness, the villainous Lady Kigo. What unnerved her a little was that the villainess who was Kim's mirror image had revealed that she had always been there, and that the only reason Kim had been able to retain control was her enormous self-discipline in fights. Kigo had also shown Kim that there had been times in the teen hero's past that she had lost her self-control and let her anger and rage consume her. The most noticeable times had been when she had kicked Shego into the control tower at the end of the Lil' Diablos mission and when she'd seriously injured Adrena Lynn in their most recent fight. For some reason, that knowledge of what she could do in that state of fury had Kim a little bit wary of putting her everything into a fight, and she didn't know how to overcome it.

But then, wasn't the perfect person to talk about this subject with sitting right in front of her in the form of her fiancé? Ron had evidently been fighting his own internal battle against Zorpox ever since his maniacally cackling alter ego had first appeared nearly a year and a half earlier, and yet the blonde-haired young man still managed to go full out every time he needed to. Other than Sheila Godfrey, who Kim hadn't talked to since a week after June and Xander had returned to the future, Ron was probably the only one who would fully understand what she was going through. She had taken a deep breath and was about to bring up the subject when Ron's scrambled egg with cheese plates started disappearing in a flurry of flying yolks, courtesy of the naked mole rat who was assaulting them.

"Rufus, buddy, slow down!" Ron chided the mole rat. "You gotta take it easy on those; especially since bathroom breaks are gonna have to wait. This isn't like high school where I can just get up and leave and not miss anything."

Rufus chittered at him with an annoyed tone. "Hrk. But cheese," he protested.

Kim smiled and patted the little guy on the head. "He's right, Rufus. Missing a class here is like missing a whole week in high school, and from what I've heard from some of the upper classmen I've talked to, most of the professors don't like it if someone tries to reenter the lecture hall or classroom once they've left."

Rufus sighed but apparently gave in and slowed down, although his facial expression was reminiscent of the time he'd been told to calm down his eating habits in the presence of women. Now that they weren't being sprayed with eggs, Kim and Ron turned back to discussing the night before.

"If you want to talk ferociously weird events from last night, how about how Global Justice seemed to not even care about what happened?" Kim started as she peeled and bit into an orange.

"KP, it's not like this is the first time they've blown us off after a debriefing. I don't really see the problem."

Kim sighed and looked around the room. "It's a problem because this was an attack on a place that is essentially one of their bases, basically caused by us, and they pretty much took what they needed and shoved us aside."

Ron shook his head in polite disagreement. "You know, technically speaking, this isn't one of their bases; it's _sponsored_ by them. I mean, we have no idea one way or the other how much of the faculty would even be halfway ready to go if something big were to happen here. And plus, I didn't see too many of them hanging around last night."

Kim nodded, but the look on her face told him she wasn't convinced. However, Ron didn't want to start the morning off with a fight about something that might actually be really trivial in the big picture, so he joined her in saying nothing else about it. Instead, he turned the conversation towards another topic that was bugging him.

"So, any ideas who our mystery teacher for Freshman English I is going to be?"

Kim shrugged, taking another bite of her orange. "Not a clue. Speaking of which, are you absolutely sure you want to take the Honors level course? I can tell you right now that it's not going to be a walk in the park, not if the Advanced Placement English classes I took in high school were any sort of reliable indication."

Ron nodded. "I'm positive, KP. After all, I'm the one who wanted us to try and take as many classes together as possible, and I know you'd easily ace the regular course. Plus, I'm kind of curious whether or not I can actually do the work if I actually focus on it."

Kim smiled at the response, and placed her free hand over his. "Ronnie, I know you can. You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for sometimes. And to be honest, both me and Wade have often wondered what you'd be capable of if you set your mind to it."

Ron got a mischievous grin. "Like how far I could get in Zombie Mayhem if I really sat down and learned exactly how to play? Or how much of _The Fearless Ferret_ I could memorize?"

Much as she tried, Kim couldn't resist the giggle that escaped her lips. "Ron, I'm serious. Think about it. If you could plan this," she said with a nodding smile to her engagement ring, "as elaborately as you did without even dropping a hint that clued me in to what you were doing, just imagine what you could do with school if you really put your mind to it."

The young man smiled. "Why do I get the feeling you've got another couple of examples for me?"

Kim grinned and leaned across the table to place a feathery, loving kiss on his lips. "That's because you know me better than anyone ever has or ever will. And that's what happens when you're best friends with someone since the first day of Pre-K and then become more than that." She kissed him again, this one a little less feathery and a little more heated.

Ron's smile when they broke for air stretched about as wide as it could go. "You realize we've gotten completely off the subject of our mystery teacher, right KP?"

The red-head gave him a look that he was sure would have shot his socks off in an instant if he hadn't been wearing shoes. As it was, he felt his toes involuntarily curl.

"I suppose so, but I'm not complaining," she said with a very sexy-looking grin. "Are you?"

"No, not really."

"Then shut up and kiss me."

It was an order Ron had absolutely no trouble following.

* * *

Andrew Lipsky had never been more nervous in his life. He didn't have much money that was truly his, and yet he found himself poking around inside a store that specialized in items that were normally very pricey. Despite the intentions he had, he still felt completely lost in trying to figure out just what had possessed him to enter this place. He also couldn't help but feel the stares he was getting. He knew part of it was his blue skin and the scar below his left eye, but that certainly wasn't all of it. Even with the announcement that Kim Possible and Global Justice had made at the end of July, most of the world still saw both him and his girlfriend as the super-villain pair known as Dr. Drakken and Shego, two nutcases bent on world conquest.

Pardon the fact that he was in this store with a person who, except for a short period that everyone in this city understood and had let pass, had never committed a crime in his entire life. Compared to this person, his recent conversion from evil to good felt almost like one of those cases where a person needs charity work and so does the absolute least noticeable thing he can do to get it. In truth, he couldn't really blame the citizens of Go City for being almost glacially slow in trusting him. Because, honestly, what had he really done to gain that trust other than help out in stopping an alien invasion which had taken place almost four full months ago?

"Andy, you okay?"

The blue-skinned man blinked a few times before he realized a hand was waving in his face, courtesy of his companion Hego. Scratch that, he was _Hector_ when in civilian clothes.

"I'm fine, Hector. I just don't know if I should be doing this. I mean, as far as I know, Sheila still sees me as just another guy she's dating. Or worse, as some guy who's only with her because we got pregnant." As he spoke, Andy shuffled from one case to another, eyeing their contents suspiciously.

Hego smiled. "I suspect that if that were the case, my sister would have already kicked you out. You already told me about that declaration she made that she would do this on her own if she had to. And I suspect that she'd rather do that than have a guy who's just hanging around because he feels like he has to."

The blue-skinned man turned toward his girlfriend's older brother with a look that spoke of a man lost. "But what if she says 'no' because she thinks it's too soon? Imagine what that would do to what we already have!"

The larger man pondered that thought for a moment. "Okay, I understand that. But would you rather her eventually get to the point where she tires of waiting on you and tries someone else."

Andy grimaced. "Well…no…but…Nnnngg…I don't want to do something that will upset her, either."

Hego grinned. "And you think that doing something like this will upset her?"

Andy shrugged unsurely. "Well, not really, but then again I'm not exactly good at reading how she's going to react to things yet."

Hego shook his head in slight amusement. "Well, then let me ask you this. Would you rather ask Sheila now and get your answer…or not ask her and always wonder what you could have had with her?"

Andy had no response to the question except to turn back towards the cases in front of him and study their contents more closely. As he perused the selection, he silently grumbled to himself about know-it-all superheroes and their siblings.

* * *

On the opposite side of the globe, two young people sat in a back corner booth in a seedy Japanese nightclub in downtown Osaka. Apart from the occasional message they had sent back to Yamanouchi, Yori Kimura and Hirotaka Shioda had had relatively little contact with the ninja school or any other graduates, and it was starting to wear on them. Had they not located a clue to their supposed quarry's whereabouts a week or two ago, they would have already returned to the school and presented their findings to Sensei. However, rumors of the "serpent demons" had led them here to the Sake and karaoke bar known as The Jade Mamba. However, as this was essentially a stakeout, their choko cups and tokkuri pitcher did not contain the chilled rice wine most of the patrons were drinking; instead they contained ordinary ice water. The bartender had originally not been pleased at their request, but since they'd paid him the normal price for a full tokkuri of the drink, his complaints and coldness had ended with the initial reaction he'd had the first night.

To this point, they had been following the same routine for three straight nights. Every evening, they had come in to this place and opted for a booth in the back corner that allowed them to see everyone who entered and left. Both of them were hoping that this lead did not turn out to be just another dead end, but the endless waiting had them both looking for ways to stay alert and mindful. As such, their conversations had started to drift towards topics that had very little to do with their present mission.

"Yori-chan, if you will permit me, I have been wondering something for some time now."

The young kunoichi looked at her companion with bright brown eyes. "Pertaining to what, Hirotaka-san?"

He drew a ring around the choko he had sitting in front of him. "Stoppable-san," he said, nervously avoiding looking in her eyes.

Yori smiled. "You may ask, as long as you will permit me to not answer if I do not feel comfortable doing so."

Hirotaka looked up slightly. "Why did you not object more strongly to the news that Stoppable-san and Possible-chan had gotten together? From what I have heard, you accepted it rather gracefully."

Yori sighed and looked down at the ornate tablecloth, solemnly tracing the elaborate patterns of the design on the glass cover with her finger. "Then you have not yet heard the whole story. When I first found out about their relationship, I did indeed react strongly to it, and had either of them come to Yamanouchi before they did, I would have voiced those opinions. However, I believe Sensei sensed that it might happen, and asked me to begin one-on-one sessions with him. That is also the reason he sent me away on my month-long pre-graduation solitude so much earlier than the rest of the class, since he realized that I needed time to meditate and reflect on how I truly felt about Stoppable-san. When I returned, I had realized some things about myself, and by the time I joined him and Kim Possible to face Monkey Fist as he raided the guardian temples, I had come to accept, just as Sensei teaches, that change is a part of life, and leads to growth, wisdom, and happiness."

Hirotaka merely fixed her with a questioning look. "But sending you away alone on something like that could have led you to become a runaway shinobi during that time. Did he not realize this?"

The young Japanese woman smiled. "I too wondered this, and it was part of what I meditated about during my journey. The only conclusion I could come to was that Sensei knowingly gave me the opportunity to choose that path, and that it was part of my training to decide whether or not I should take it. And in that time I came to realize that, while Stoppable-san and I are and will forever be close friends, I could never hope to achieve the level of understanding with him that he shares with Kim Possible. If something were to happen to her that forever prevented the two of them joining together, it might have been different, but I have come to realize that I could never replace her in his heart. Whether I like it or not, Stoppable-san and I are on paths that are entwined but will never join."

Hirotaka's eyes seemed to shine a little more brightly. "So then what happened between you and Possible-chan at Yamanouchi before the Yono made his attack on the school…"

Yori nodded. "Yes, it was merely a misunderstanding caused by my failure to recognize her."

At that moment, a figure they both recognized entered the bar and quickly made his way to the back. Looking around rather quickly, he entered what the two ninja could only assume was a back meeting room of some sort. His appearance confused both of them yet set all their senses on high alert.

Yori narrowed her eyes and let out a hissed whisper. "Fukushima? What could he be doing here?"

Hirotaka remained deathly silent however, although his fists were shaking so bad from rage that the choko he had been holding was crushed to a fine powder. Since he had been away when Fukushima had been expelled, it had been nearly three years since the young man had seen the classmate he had once considered to be a closer friend and ally than a brother. As such, he had never had the chance to hear Fukushima's explanation for the actions the rogue ninja had taken against the Yamanouchi School. Now, seeing the traitor before him, all the feelings of personal betrayal Hirotaka held and felt towards the other young man were quickly rising to the surface.

"I do not know, Yori-chan, but it cannot be for any sort of honorable purpose."

* * *

Monique and Felix both got out of their first classes around 9:00 AM, and immediately headed over towards the Sentinel Station. Monique simply wanted to meet up with Kim and Ron there before Freshman English I. Felix, on the other hand, had unfortunately woken up late and needed to grab something to eat. As the four friends headed over to the Wayland Building where the class was being held, he munched on the breakfast churros he'd picked up from the Bueno Nacho Express.

"Yo, Ron-man, thanks for using your comp to get these for me. But you realize you didn't have to, right?"

Ron grinned. "Of course, but as Kim says it's no big. We've got it: why not use it?"

Kim smiled. "Just as long as you're not using it to pick up other girls."

Ron bit back a giggle. "Actually, I've thought about using it to impress this really cute girl who lives on the fourth floor of Patriot Towers. Maybe you've seen her."

Monique started to say something negative, but then she saw the teasing sparkle in his eyes. "Do we happen to know this girl?"

The blonde young man let out a toothy grin. "I think you might. Long, flowing red hair, beautiful emerald green eyes. Frequently jets off with some guy to go around the world."

Kim giggled a bit. "Just be careful. I hear she has a boyfriend that has some ferociously well-developed Monkey Kung Fu skills. Plus, I'm pretty sure I saw a ring on her finger already."

Felix couldn't help a laugh. "Man, if you two are like that now, I can't even imagine what you are going to be like once you actually decide to get married. Speaking of which, when are you going to go public with it?"

Almost immediately, Kim's good mood went south, and with it came a long drawn out sigh. "First, we have to deal with the families. Particularly Ron's Aunt Alma and my Grandma Dorothy."

Monique was puzzled. "But Kim, your grandma has always seemed to me to be a sweet lady."

Kim rolled her eyes a little. "That's my Nana Zim you're referring to, and yes, she is sweet. But Grandma Dorothy falls almost on the other end of the spectrum. She takes the position of family matriarch _very seriously_, right down to who she 'permits' us to be associated with. Grandpa Amos is a lot more accepting of everyone, but sadly…" She left the end hanging intentionally, not wanting to hurt her friend's feelings.

Unfortunately, the look on Monique's face told them all she understood exactly what Kim meant. "Oh…so that's why you don't mention her that much."

Kim politely pulled her hand out of Ron's grasp and shifted her walking path until she could put an arm around her BFF's shoulders. "Monique, listen to me. I don't care what she says: you and I are friends to the end, no matter what. And I promise that you won't have to worry about it when it comes time for the ceremony. Like I said, Grandpa is a lot more understanding, and he's always able to balance her out and keep her civil when there's a problem. Plus, everyone in the family has been working on her non-stop ever since you and I met. I'm confident we can get her to behave when the time comes."

Monique smiled, but the brightness that normally accompanied it seemed a little less luminous. "So how do you think she's going to take the news of your engagement to Ron? Especially since he's Reform Jewish?"

Kim drew herself up to her full height, though Ron noticed the faint shadow of a tear in her eye. "Whether she likes it or not, Ron is the man I'm going to marry. Believe me, the only reason we're waiting to tell her in person is for my Grandpa's sake, just so he doesn't have to learn about it in one of her 'hellfire and brimstone' rants."

By this time, they'd reached the Wayland Building, and quickly found their way to the lecture hall where the class was taking place. The class itself was set up like a miniature auditorium, thankfully with the door on the bottom row. They quickly filed into the front row on the four end seats and pulled out their books, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the professor. The rest of the class slowly filed in over the next few minutes, and Kim immediately began to realize just how varied a student body there was at the college.

Whereas most of the students at Middleton High had dressed in a very casual conservative style, here in just this classroom there were almost as many different styles of dress as there were students. Up near the top of the seating were several guys in very loose shirts and looser pants, and Kim noticed that one of them had already pulled his ball cap down over his eyes. Near the middle-left, a group of girls were dressed in clothes that she knew had only come out of Coco Banana's collection a few weeks ago. To the right of that group, a group of people had a look that suggested they were ready for the highest offices of major corporations. And on the other side of the front row opposite them there was a group of people dressed in black, chains, and leather wristbands.

As she glanced at this final group, Kim got two different and distinct impressions. First of all, she got the feeling that Kigo would have fit in nice with them simply based on the way the villainess had chosen to dress while she was in control. Secondly, and slightly more nerve-rattling, she couldn't shake the feeling that a guy and a girl from that group were eyeing her with much darker looks than the normal "that's Kim Possible" looks they had been receiving ever since they'd arrived on the G.V.U. campus. Kim tried to brush it off as simply seeing a new way for someone to dress, but despite her intentions the feeling kept prickling fiercely in her mind. She finally couldn't take in any more, and leaned over towards Ron and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Ron?"

The blonde smiled and looked at her. "What's up, KP?"

"Tell me I'm just being paranoid."

Ron shook his head at the out-of-left-field statement. "Huh? Why?"

Kim discreetly motioned over her left shoulder. "I don't know why, but that group over there is sending my weird-ar off the charts."

Ron shook his head a little. "KP, it's just the reaction to seeing something new. The Middleton dress code didn't allow that, so this is just the first time we've seen it. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Now, who this new teacher is going to be, that's something to worry about."

Felix, who only caught the last line of the conversation, laughed a bit. "What, are you afraid Mr. Barkin is going to walk through that door?"

Ron turned towards his friend and eyed him suspiciously. "Well, it could happen. He subbed for practically every class I ever had at Middleton, so who's to say he doesn't do a little college teaching on the side."

Monique couldn't resist her laugh either. "Boy, think about it. If Coach Steve Barkin subs for every class at Middleton, there's no way he'd have time to make it over here to teach a college seminar class as well."

Kim was about to add to the conversation when the door opened.

"Alright, people, LISTEN UP!"

Ron's voice could be heard across the campus.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

a/n

To anyone who feels offended by some parts of this chapter, I apologize, but I wanted to throw in an explanation of why we never saw Anne Possible's parents in the show, and this seemed like it might be a plausible explanation.

Also, I want to throw out a huge thanks to all my readers. Thanks to you, my first story, **Changes**, just went over 9k hits, and this one has just passed the 1.2k hits mark! THANK YOU! *bows*

And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. They let me know you guys are still reading and enjoying the story. :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Chapter 6 is up and running!

Sorry for the delay in updates, but right now my schedule is kind of out of sync what with switching from daytime to graveyard. While I can be on the computer at work now, I haven't yet fully adjusted to being up all night, so I'm sleeping a lot during the day. But I'm still going to try to hold to my "chapter/week" update pace. However, I ask that you bear with me if it takes a few days longer than that. But enough about me. On to the story:

Has one of Ron's worst fears been realized? And if so, why is Barkin at G.V.U.?

Then, Kim is forced to go solo against a test of a different sort. And the results also lead to some unwanted events. But maybe a new ally can help her get through it.

Back home, events are unfolding, and people close to Team Possible are being swept into the fray whether they want to be or not.

A pair of foes decide to join forces to reach a common goal.

And finally, on a trip off campus, Kim and Ron decide that an overdue problem finally needs to be addressed.

This college year is getting interesting, and Team Possible isn't even out of the first week yet!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Felix, who only caught the last line of the conversation, laughed a bit. "What, are you afraid Mr. Barkin is going to walk through that door?"

Ron turned towards his friend and eyed him suspiciously. "Well, it could happen. He subbed for practically every class I ever had at Middleton, so who's to say he doesn't do a little college teaching on the side."

Monique couldn't resist her laugh either. "Boy, think about it. If Coach Steve Barkin subs for every class at Middleton, there's no way he'd have time to make it over here to teach a college seminar class as well."

Kim was about to add to the conversation when the door opened.

"Alright, people, LISTEN UP!"

Ron's voice could be heard across the campus.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Although the clothes were much different from the traditional tan pants and brown jacket, and the hair wasn't in a buzz cut style, there was no mistaking the build or the voice. There was also no doubt that this person was the son of Franklin Barkin, the unofficial leader of the historical village of Port Mystic Cove Haven. As he walked in the room carrying a briefcase and a stack of papers, however, something seemed to be off.

"Mr. Barkin?" Ron asked timidly.

When the teacher spoke, he had a very laid-back quality to his voice, as if he were constantly giving Ron a run for the title of King of Marinating. "Yeah, that's right. Although most people call me Professor Barkin. And you are?"

The four alumni of Middleton High all shook their heads in disbelief as their jaws dropped. Coach Steve Barkin, the teacher with the mind like a steel trap, had forgotten about Ron Stoppable? It was unheard of!

"Mr. B, it's me. Ron. Ron Stoppable?" the young man said incredulously, his mind reeling. _Has he finally forgotten about the funny look from ninth grade?_

"Who?" the man asked confusedly.

Kim blinked a few times. "Mr. Barkin, why aren't you back at Middleton teaching?"

Monique also chimed in. "And what's with the hair and the clothes, Mr. B?"

Suddenly, the man began laughing—a loud, hearty belly-laugh that echoed all throughout the lecture hall. Monique, Felix, Kim, and Ron all looked at each other incredulously, disbelief written all over their faces. Barkin had never laughed like this in all the years they'd known him!

"Let me guess," he said as he sort of composed himself. "Middleton High Mad Dog alumni, correct?"

"Right…" Monique replied, still confused.

The professor continued, his laugh still permeating his voice. "Probably every single class you ever had was substituted by Steven Barkin?"

"Yeah…" Felix added, rubbing his chin.

"So much so that you wondered whether or not your school had any other subs?" the man continued, slowly calming down out of his humor.

"Uh huh…" Ron said with a squint.

The laughter returned. "Whooo, boy, I can't believe this happened again."

Suddenly Kim caught on. "You're not the Mr. Barkin we know, are you?"

The professor took a deep breath to calm down, but he still kept a smile that stretched the corners of his mouth. "No, young lady, I'm not, though I do know him. The name is Christopher Barkin—Steven is my slightly older brother."

Ron scratched his head in confusion. "But you look…"

Professor Barkin smiled. "Just like him except for the hair and clothes? Yeah, people tell us that all the time. Course I guess that's what happens when you're twins, even if we are of the fraternal variety. We were born nearly three hours apart due to some medical complications, causing his birthday to be a day ahead of mine, but still considered twins. And honestly, apart from the similarities in our builds and voices, the two of us are about as different as twin brothers can be."

"Like?" Kim said with a curious look.

The teacher grinned. "Well, for one thing, you know he fought in Vietnam, right?"

All four Mad Dog alumni nodded.

"Well, my actions during that time would probably lead most people to classify me as one of the 'hippie protesters,' and I still think peace and love are the grooviest ways to resolve a conflict. Of course, that doesn't mean that I have a single problem with what you two do," he added with a relaxed stare and smile at Kim and Ron. "That is, if I'm right in my assumption that you two are the field agents for the famous Team Possible, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable."

"That's us, and these are our best friends, Monique and Felix," Kim replied with a smile.

"Well, I must say I expect great things from the four of you." He turned to the rest of the class. "And that goes for every one of the rest of you as well. As these four pointed out, I'm Professor Christopher Barkin. You may call me 'Mr. B.,' 'Mr. Barkin,' 'Professor B.,' or 'Professor Barkin.' I don't answer to much else. Also, this class is Honors Freshman English I, hours 9:30-10:45, class 611213-A."

He started passing out the stack of papers on the end of the rows, and then returned to the front of the room and wrote the name, hours, and number on the board. He then turned back towards the class, and pointed to each digit of the number as he spoke.

"Class 611213-A. That number means that this class is in the English department, denoted by the 6; a Freshman course, denoted by the first 1; worth one credit, denoted by the second 1; taking place on Tuesday/Thursday, denoted by the 2; happening during the first semester, denoted by the third 1; and an Honors level course, denoted by the 3. The A merely means that there is more than one of this class happening at this time."

He held up a copy of the paper he'd just passed out. "This is your Class Syllabus. I advise all of you at this time to compare the class number, which you will find on the top of this syllabus, to your class schedule. If any part of the number doesn't match, including the letter, you are in the wrong class, and need to go find the right one."

Only one person got up and left the classroom, a sheepish look on his face as he exited.

Professor Barkin smiled. "Groovy. Now, I am not one of these teachers who give out 'show-up' points, meaning you don't get any credit in my classes for just showing up. If you look at your syllabus, you'll see that your grades are based on the following: 5% for quizzes, 60% for tests, and 35% split between your three papers. Your test grade is also split, in that it's 20% for your three regular tests, and 40% for your final. Now, I will say this: Although it isn't part of your final grade, if you do your homework, my tests are a complete breeze. Also, if you do the reading assignments I give you, the quizzes will be as easy as pie. And every single question on your final will come from your quizzes and your tests. Based on that, you can completely fail two of your papers and still pass my class. Although if you fail all three papers, or two papers and one test, that puts you at a D, and you only graduate from this school with a composite C average."

Ron gulped a bit, although he certainly wasn't the only one in class who let loose with an audible version of the sound.

"You can also find my office hours and my office phone on there. Even if you're not feeling the love, and have to stay in bed sick, I require a phone call to my office, which I check right before I come here. Now then, since there are fifty of you in this class, I'm not going to be taking role. Instead, I'll have a paper here at the front that I place out when I arrive, and will sit here for five minutes after class ends. It is your responsibility to sign it. If you have more than five days of no signing and no phone call, you will automatically fail this course. The only exceptions are those officially recognized by Global Vanguard University. Also, late papers may be accepted with a 20% penalty as long as they are in my office mailbox by the time the next opportunity arises. And that means either the class or the next time I'm in my office. In _arranged_ cases, I will accept emails with attached documents, but those must be cleared _before_ the class period when the paper is due."

There were several groans from all about the class, and a certain red-head and blonde sat up a little straighter.

Professor Barkin merely smiled again. "I think you'll find I'm one of the more lenient teachers here at G.V.U. when it comes to absences, and I also don't lock the door to outside access like some do, meaning you can get here late. Now, I'm going to dismiss you early, but before I do, please look at page two of your syllabus. You'll see several passages and writings from your textbook. The day a reading first appears is the day I expect it read. Now, let's see…Mr. Renton, could you please read what is written next to this Thursday?"

Felix scanned the second page. "_The Epic of Gilgamesh_ – Part One."

The teacher grinned. "So then…Miss Watson, what do you think that means?"

Monique smiled. "It means that we're supposed to have read _The Epic of Gilgamesh_ by next class period, Sir."

Chris Barkin nodded. "That's correct. Now I would also suggest to all of you to start reading _1984_ and _Brave New World_ as well, because both are due by next Thursday, and your first paper will be on them. Neither is very long, but I would suggest reading both a couple of times so that you don't confuse them. Now, class dismissed. And remember: don't be late for Thursday's class."

The four friends gathered their books, but just as they were about to leave, they were approached by the teacher.

"Mr. Stoppable, Miss Possible, might I have a word with you?"

"Of course," replied Kim. "And by the way, we don't any special treatment just because of what we do."

The teacher grinned. "Good to hear, Miss Possible. And that covers what I wanted to talk to you two about. Although I must say that I'd certainly be willing to discuss it if arrangements needed to be made. As I said, I have no problems with what you two do."

Kim nodded. "Thank you, but we normally try to stay on top of things. Kind of have to with the lives we lead."

Professor Barkin smiled. "Understand completely."

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

The next class on the schedule was unfortunately one they couldn't take together. Ron had a Business class, Felix had Anatomy I, and Monique had picked one of her Artistic Design classes to start in half an hour. Kim had originally entertained notions of joining Ron in his class, but further examination of the courses they needed to take during their freshman year had revealed a problem. Due to the classes they'd taken in high school, Kim was slightly ahead of all three of them, particularly Ron, in the History department. As such, she had basically tested out of every single freshman history course but one, and that was Civilizations of the Ancient World. So, when the class had fallen right in this particular slot, Kim had decided she'd take it. And due to its location, it also forced her to take a solo walk for the most part. Felix was able to accompany her for a short distance, but they reached the Carter Building with his class relatively soon after they left the Wayland Building. So she continued her walk on her own.

As she walked, Kim noticed just how few trees there were along this particular route. While it allowed her to enjoy the beautiful weather and sunshine today, she also made a mental note to start carrying an umbrella in her book bag in case of a freak storm. There would be relatively little cover to duck through if it were raining, and one thing she had learned over the years was how much she hated getting soaked when it was unnecessary. She normally wouldn't care about a little rain, but one or two sessions of sitting in first period back at MHS while dripping wet had shown her just how much she detested the cold and clammy feeling of air-drying while trying to pay attention to a teacher's lecture. Not to mention that she sometimes liked a white shirt or two, and didn't want to give anyone a show.

She pulled out a campus map she had stashed in her bag first thing that morning and scanned the nearby buildings, just to make sure she was still on track. The class didn't meet for at least another half an hour, but Kim wanted to make sure she could find the building easily enough, as well as get a judge on how long it would take her to get from one class to the next. She reached into her book bag and pulled out her schedule as well, checking the information and location.

"Civilizations of the Ancient World. Dr. Ulysses Hyde. 11:00A – 12:15P, Tuesday & Thursday. Hancock Hall, Rm. 505. Class 413213-B, " she spoke aloud to herself, memorizing the information for the hundredth time.

Looking at her map, she sighed when she saw that she'd passed the place already, though thankfully not too far back. Turning around, she saw the building, and got an immediate dislike of it. Most of the buildings on the G.V.U. campus looked modern and welcoming, possessed rounded corners, and were at most three floors high. Hancock Hall, on the other hand looked about seventy-five years old and stood tall and imposing, as if it were daring time to keep trying to knock it over. Kim also noticed with a groan that it was six stories tall, meaning that her class would most likely be located near the top. And judging from the building's age, it wasn't likely to have any elevators, translating to a long climb up five flights of stairs. Kim scowled at herself as she remembered that there had been other classes that she could have taken, but nooooo…she had to pick one that would fill up this "free spot" in her schedule.

As she began the long and arduous climb up the stairs, she noticed with somewhat of a smile that she was surrounded by other students. The jostling of bodies reminded her a little of the few minutes prior to class starting back at Middleton, although the bumping on stairs was a new feeling she felt she could do without. It also didn't help that she was feeling the effects of Dementor's little concussion attack on her shin, especially after the near campus-crossing trek she'd just made. Just outside the fifth floor of the stairwell, she slipped along the wall towards a bench and sat down, rubbing her leg to try and relieve some of the stiffness and soreness. At that moment, a young woman sat down next to her, although all Kim could see were the black pants she was wearing.

"Excuse me, are you Kim Possible?" she asked.

"That's me," Kim said with a grin as she looked up, although the grin faltered somewhat when she saw she was talking to the same girl from that dark-clothed group she'd gotten a weird vibe off of in her previous class. However, she quickly recovered, and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you…"

"Drea. Drea Saunders," the girl said with a surprisingly dazzling white smile that completely contrasted with her black eyeliner and black lipstick. "Sounds like the rapper with an 'uh' thrown on the end, but spelled D-R-E-A. Can I ask you something?"

Kim smiled, her initial feeling of worry towards this girl slowly beginning to evaporate. "Sure, what can I do for you?"

Drea fixed her with a pointed stare. "Why did you come here? To G.V.U., I mean. It seems to me that with your fame and popularity, and from what I've heard about your intelligence, you could have gone anywhere you chose."

The red-head sighed and leaned back against the wall, nearly slipping off the too-skinny bench before she quickly recovered. "Honestly, it's a long story. But it mostly has to do with Ron and wanting to go to the same school."

The black haired young woman shook her head. "Ron Stoppable? The guy who's always losing his pants on your missions?"

Kim giggled a bit. "Yeah, although that hasn't happened as much since our half-aversary when I gave him a belt. He's actually the blonde guy I was sitting next to in our last class."

"I thought he looked familiar," Drea said with another smile. "So who do you have here in Hancock?"

"Dr. Hyde for Civilizations of the Ancient World."

Drea cocked an eyebrow at her. "Same here. Are you going into Archaeology too?"

Kim shook her head. "Not really," she replied. Then, at the girl's amused stare, "Why do you ask?"

Drea's head tilted to the side a bit. "Then why take Hyde?"

Kim shrugged. "I had some free time while my friends were in other classes, so I decided to fill it with this."

The young raven-haired woman shook her head. "If I were you, I would have taken something else."

Kim's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why's that?"

Drea smiled a little, although there was definite grimace hidden in there as well. "Let's just say that from what I've heard he lives up to his last name. If I had any choice in the matter I wouldn't have taken him, but my major demands it. Speaking of which, we'd better find the class and head inside or we'll be late."

Kim glanced at the time displayed on her wrist Kimmunicator. "But it's only 10:50. And the class doesn't start until 11:00."

Drea was already standing though. "Well, if what my RA Mitzy Drake told me is true, Hyde expects you in the class by 11:00, so he locks his doors at 10:59."

Kim pushed herself up to a standing position. "Wait, you're on the fourth floor of Patriot Towers?"

Drea looked at her in surprise. "Yeah. Are you?"

The red-head nodded. "Yep, Unit 408. You?"

Drea smiled. "Next to Terri Everett in 409, the girl who Mitzy said can't seem to keep her pants on? Then that means you're only two doors down from me. I'm in Unit 410."

By this time, they had reached door to Rm. 505, and Kim was surprised to find the thirty or so student desks mostly full. In fact, there were only a few seats still up for availability. There had been a constant chatter going on, but it quieted down quickly as the two girls entered. Drea opted for a seat near the back, while Kim settled on one near the front of the second row. As she pulled out her textbook and the one notebook she'd brought, she could feel the stares boring into the back of her head. Although she'd experienced a little of this at Middleton the first few weeks after she started her missions, most of those people already knew her. Here, it was as if she were some movie star on the same popularity level as Heather or Quinn, and she was just a little tired of it. She hoped that it would soon end.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a gray-haired man with fierce grey eyes, a chest-length pointed beard, and square-rimmed spectacles entered the room. Or maybe the more appropriate term was _stormed in_, because his entrance was anything but gentle. In her entire time fighting villains, Kim had yet to meet a single one that frightened her, but this man caused an immediate and unnatural feeling to rise in her chest. For no reason beyond his appearance and demeanor, she found herself _intimidated_ by this man she had yet to even hear speak!

When he did speak, his voice was booming and all business. "Anyone here whose schedule does not say 'Civilizations of the Ancient World, Dr. Ulysses Hyde, Class 413213-B,' please get out now. I do not have time to waste on you. The rest of you, clear everything but your textbook and a pen off of your desk. Now. Also, all quizzes in here are to be done in standard blue or black pen, no pencils. For today alone, I have a can of pens on my desk if you need to borrow one."

A couple students got up to retrieve a pen, while all around the room the rest of the class could be heard shuffling materials as he began to pass out two packets to each of them.

"What I am handing out is the syllabus for this class and your first quiz. You have thirty minutes to complete this quiz, and will find all answers either in your book or on your syllabus. Read all directions before you do anything else. You may begin as soon as I hand it to you, and the time will start as soon as I have passed out the last set."

_Well, this class is going to be fun,_ Kim thought with a grimace as she stared at the two packets he'd handed them. The syllabus was only two pages front and back, but the quiz easily consisted of thirty pages! There was no way they could possibly do this entire thing in half an hour! Remembering the teacher's instructions, she quickly began scanning the directions. The first page was all true/false questions, the next five were all multiple choice, and the next twenty-three were essays. Anyone who completed this thing would have to be the king of speed-writers. Kim was starting to think this guy might be certifiably insane, but then she turned to the final page, where she found a second space for her name and a note.

_To those students who followed my instructions, I applaud you. In reality, this test is simple, and designed to test one thing: your ability to follow my instructions on an assignment. If you have followed the directions to the letter, you have yet to write a single thing on this packet, and this is a good thing. All you are to do is answer the true/false questions on the front page, the answers to which are all on your syllabus, and sign your name at the top of this page. Then wait patiently until the time is up. This will net you your first thirty points in this class. If there is any other writing on this test, including your name at the top of the first page, you will only receive ten. If you clue anyone else in to what you have just read, you both fail immediately. Dr. Ulysses L. Hyde, Ph.D._

Kim blinked a few times in surprise, and found herself immediately grateful that Ron was not in the class with her. He would most likely have charged in with his pen flying, and if she had clued him in they'd both be starting out with zero points. Smiling to herself, she looked around the room. Several of the students were already furiously answering as many questions as they could, and she saw only a handful of them had evidently followed Hyde's instructions like she had. She glanced back, and noticed with a grin that Drea was evidently one of the ones who had listened, as she was sitting there with an amused look, her pen laying flat on the desk. Kim returned to her own test, and proceeded to answer the questions that had actually been assigned before signing her name to the back page. As soon as she was done, she looked up at the front where Dr. Hyde was sitting, and saw him smile and nod directly at her, his grey eyes warm and twinkling for the briefest of moments. However, as soon as the congratulations were given, the eyes regained their cold steel look and continued scanning the room.

The minute the time was up, he collected the papers. Looking around the room, it was easy to judge from the facial expressions who had followed instructions and who was now dreading the results of a bad grade this early in the class. Dr. Hyde quickly leafed through them, and sorted them into two stacks, one several times higher than the rest. Then he turned to the class.

"Well, how do you think you did?"

There was a nearly class-wide groan, and several students began voicing complaints. Most of the grievances dealt with the length and time of the test. All throughout the ruckus, the professor continued to smile.

"I understand your problems," he said when things had calmed down, "but at this time I would now like those who figured out the true test to stand up."

While most of the class sat still looking thoroughly puzzled, six of them stood up, Kim and Drea included. The rest of the class immediately began vocalizing their confusion.

Dr. Hyde made a grand gesture. "The six students you see before you represent two things. First off, they are the ones who followed my instructions, and will receive the full thirty points the quiz is worth. They also represent the six students who will be able to pull an A out of this class, and most likely are the students who will be found studying when most are out partying. You may all sit back down."

Once the group was seated, he continued. "What you achieve in this class will be based on two things: what you learn and how well you follow my instructions. After all, that is the basis of education. Now, this is a history class, and will deal primarily with civilizations that existed prior to 1000 A.D. Also, it will deal with both sides of the globe, western and eastern. If you notice on the schedule portion of your syllabus, we are going to be looking at the well-known of the Eastern Hemisphere, such as the Egyptians, the Babylonians, and the Romans, and the lesser known, like the Celtic, the Etruscans, and the Mehrgarh of Ancient India. We will also travel back here to the Western Hemisphere, and look as the Maya, the Olmec, and even the Norte Chico."

Several of the students seemed to perk up, and Kim couldn't blame them. A class that didn't focus solely on the civilizations of the Eastern Hemisphere, when that was practically all courses of this nature typically studied, had an air of nuance to it that could easily pique the interest of any young mind.

Dr. Hyde smiled appreciatively at the reaction. "Now, I warn you, this class is not easy. I grade hard, but I grade fair. Also, if you can prove to me that you are right, and back up your statement, I have been known to consent. The most notable case of this happened a few years ago and dealt with a student's project on Ancient Greece. He brought in some information that was at first glance made up, and as such, I failed him on the assignment. However, he brought in several credible sources to back up his work, and I was so impressed by his thoroughness that I ended up actually giving him a better grade than he would have originally earned if I had thought his information correct in the first place. So remember: research, research, research. Now, does anyone have any questions about this class?"

One student raised his hand. "Uh, Professor, I don't find it fair that we are going to be graded on the same grounds as Kim Possible. She's been in more tombs and ancient cities than most of us have even seen pictures of. She could bring in hundreds of things from those places and coast out of here on bonus points."

Kim was stunned by the call-out. While the statement may be true, did this guy honestly expect her to do anything of that sort? She wasn't a grave robber, and actually held people like that in some of the highest contempt, right up there with the few villains who were daring enough to go after her or Ron's families.

Dr. Hyde blinked a few times. "Kim Possible?" he said as he scanned the room, his eyes finally settling on Kim as if seeing her for the first time. "Well, I'm sure Miss Possible wants no special treatment. And even if she were to ask for it, I would not give it. Inside these four walls, I view all of you as students of equal stature, with no student requiring any sort of allowances or exemptions. And based on what I know of your family, Mr. Jones, I would remind you that you are also held to the same regulations as any other student. Now, are there any other questions that actually pertain to this class? No? Then you are dismissed. However, Miss Possible, I would like to speak with you in particular for a few moments in my office."

Kim nodded as the class packed up their things, and after throwing her book bag over her shoulder, she waited to follow the professor. While waiting, she felt a hard jostle on her side, and turned to find a cold gaze scanning her up and down. It was the same young man who had called her out in class. Kim might have found him ruggedly handsome if it weren't for the air of superiority he was looking at her with. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then smirked and turned around. As he did, he apparently made sure his backpack caught her, as it smacked her hard in the chest. Kim was about to react when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Drea standing there smiling.

"Not worth it, Kim. Trust me. Especially if his family is who I think they are."

Kim nodded, and waved as her new friend walked off down the hall. At that moment, Dr. Hyde walked out and motioned for her to follow him. He led her down to the first floor, and into an office that was crammed with various relics and models of ancient artifacts.

"Please, Miss Possible, have a seat," he said in a tone that wasn't cold but certainly contained absolutely no warmth.

She did, and the look he fixed her with immediately brought the unfamiliar feeling of intimidation she had gotten the first time she saw him surging back to the front of her mind.

"Miss Possible, I'm not going to beat around the bush here," he said as he took off his spectacles and began wiping them with a cloth. "I was completely serious with what I said back in the class when Mr. Jones called you out. I don't hand out special treatment, and I treat all my students in the exact same manner, regardless of who they are."

"Which is completely what I want," she replied with a smile.

Dr. Hyde shook his head. "My dear girl, I don't think you quite understand what I'm getting at. I know from what I've heard from your teachers back at Middleton that you have been known to receive and leave on missions in the middle of class. However, I feel I must warn you now that just because you get called, that doesn't mean I'm going to be okay with you taking off."

Kim was just slightly taken aback by this. "What are you saying, Professor?"

He replaced his glasses on his nose and looked at her over the top of them. "I believe you stated during your interview this past May that you would be perfectly willing to turn over the mission work to Mr. Stoppable should the situation arise, correct?"

Kim nodded, not liking where this was heading. "Yes, but…"

Dr. Hyde sighed. "Miss Possible, I am going to give you one warning, and one only. Unless the mission involves life or death, which you must know beforehand, any departures from my class will not be accepted. This especially applies to test days, on which my policy is that if you leave, you are finished with the test. I will also be asking that you silence your devices in my class, and answer them at a later time."

Kim started to object. "But…"

"And if we have a test, I will only allow you to take it if you are present when the class starts. Also, any papers that are due must be in my hand by the start of the class period they are due. I check my box, which you saw as we entered, right before I leave for every single class. Therefore there is no excuse, beyond hospitalization, that will make me give you any additional time to complete assignments. Now, do we understand each other?"

She stared at him with a confused brow. "Yes, Professor, but…"

"Then we are finished, Miss Possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another class to prepare for. Good day." With that, he got up and opened the door, shooing her out.

Kim stood there staring at the closed door for a minute before she heard a nasally Southern drawl of a voice behind her.

"Trust me sugar: that was tame compared to the speech he's given some of you youngsters."

She turned to find the secretary for this office staring at her through tacky, silvery-blue glasses similar in shape to the ones the Middleton librarian Miss Hatchet had been fond of wearing. For the briefest of moments, Kim found it slightly comical that the glasses were the same color as the obvious wig the woman was wearing, but she quickly straightened her expression.

"Is that really the same teacher I just had a class with?" Kim asked as she glanced at the closed office door.

The elderly woman smiled. "Yep. To be honest, a lot of the faculty around here thinks he might have some form of multiple personality or bipolar disorder. Though I wouldn't worry about it unless you decided to major in Archaeology. He prefers not to teach the basic history courses, and only teaches the few he does because the university requires it of him."

Kim smiled and thanked the woman for the information before heading out and back to Patriot Towers. She'd agreed to meet Ron and Monique back there before they headed off to lunch. Felix had said he might join them, but wasn't sure due to previous plans. Kim had an amused sneaking suspicion those plans might involve the young man attempting to drive over to Upperton U. to catch a meal with his own fiancée Zita Flores. Evidently the two had seen relatively little of each other since Felix had moved to G.V.U. the previous Thursday. According to Ron, if it hadn't been for the statue dedication party at Middleton Park, that time together would have been exactly zero. Looking back at that summer, Kim realized it could have very easily been her and Ron that something like that was happening to; she found herself very grateful they'd both gotten into G.V.U.

Kim was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice the young blonde woman she nearly knocked over as she left Hancock Hall, though the other girl certainly noticed her. As the red-head walked off, the girl continued to watch her with a mysterious curiosity floating in her brown eyes.

_So that's Kim Possible, huh? She doesn't look that tough to me._

* * *

Gene Stoppable sighed as he tried for what felt like the hundredth time today to coax his adoptive daughter Hana to stop running on the ceiling and the walls. This had been so much easier this summer with Kim and Ron around to help, but now he was once again on solo duty. It was one of the joys of working from his home office. While he got to spend more time with Hana this way, it also meant that he normally had to deal with her super-ninja-baby antics all on his own. Although he was gratefully discovering more and more that as she aged she seemed to like marking the paint with her shoes a little less. However, the gummy fruit snacks he'd given her with her lunch had evidently given her a sugar charge, and she was now a complete ball of energy as she left multiple footprints all over everything.

However, as Gene chased her down, he caught movement outside the living room window out of the corner of his eye. He finally managed to corral Hana and settle her down with the latest _Flippies_ DVD, and casually walked to the door, opening it to look out. Suddenly, he was hit low in the gut and then chopped on the back of the neck by a small, black-uniformed form with a tail. It was too small to be human, but he couldn't make the connection to what it was. As he slid to the ground and blacked out, he heard Hana scream. He tried to react, but the unconsciousness washed over him.

******~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

He awoke several minutes later to Hana crying and shaking his arm. "Da-ddy. No sleep. Monkeys gone. No sleep."

Gene sat up, his head throbbing and his vision a little blurry. Despite that, he picked up Hana and hugged her tight. "I'm okay, sweetie. Daddy's okay."

"Bad monkeys," she said. "They hurt Daddy and house."

Gene blinked a few times. "Monkeys? Hurt the house?"

It was then that he got a good look around the living room. It appeared someone had been searching for something—there were papers and books thrown all over the room, and the cushions of the couch were removed and lying at haphazard angles. He slowly got up, carrying Hana, and examined the rest of the house, checking each room. Surprisingly, the master bedroom and the guest room that James and Anne were using had been left relatively alone, but Hana's room, Ron's room, and Kim's guest room had all been thoroughly tossed. Ron's room in particular looked like a tornado had hit it. Unfortunately, Gene couldn't be sure how much of that was what had been done and how much of it was caused by Kim's brothers who were staying in the room—the two boys seemed to have the same penchant as Ron for sloppiness in the bedroom. However, it didn't appear that anything was missing. Gene made a mental note to ask his wife and the Possibles to confirm that nothing was gone as soon as they returned home.

Smiling, he hugged Hana again, thankful she wasn't hurt. As he held her, the humorous thought of the toddler fighting ninja monkeys in hand-to-hand combat crossed his mind, and he couldn't resist a small laugh.

* * *

D.N. Amy poured over yet another book, looking for answers to her problem. She coughed a bit as the dust rose off the pages, and continued to read. So far, she'd found no references to the riddle she was trying to solve. However, she refused to give up, intent on reaching her goal. As she made a few notes, she heard her guard Bulldogodiles growling fiercely, and set down her pen to check on what could be making them act like that. She found them at the front of the entrance to her latest secret lab, cornering a man who was surprisingly a little shorter than she was herself. The fellow was wearing what she could only describe as clothes that would be better worn on an excavation or an archaeological dig. It took her a minute, but she eventually recognized him.

"Bates, it's been a while."

"Quite, milady," he answered in his British accent. "I wonder if we might have a moment of your time."

"We?" she asked a bit puzzled.

Bates put his fingers to his lips and whistled, though not very loudly. At that moment, several monkey ninjas appeared out of the shadows and surrounded them. D.N. Amy looked at them all and grinned.

"Oooooh, Cuddle Monkey's minions! Why are they with you, Bates?"

The short man smiled. "I suspect for the same reason you've been stealing ancient texts from all over the world. Or should I say you've been having your creations steal them for you."

D.N. Amy looked at him with a sweet smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bates whistled again, and five more ninja-clad monkeys appeared, dragging a heavy black sack. Bates untied the sack and it fell away, revealing a large snake with the head of a cat. There was no mistaking that it was the Cataconda that D.N. Amy had created a few years back. She smiled nervously.

"So, ummm…what do you want?"

Bates smiled. "Actually, based on what this thing was trying to steal, we believe we want the same thing you do, Miss Hall. And we think we know how to get it. But we're still missing a few key items that we ourselves have been unable to procure, as well as the final key ingredient. Maybe with your help, we can expedite the process."

The geneticist grinned. "Sounds fun."

* * *

Unfortunately, Monique had been called to another meeting with her academic advisor, so she called to say she was unable to join in a group lunch. Felix also called and cancelled, and Kim confirmed her earlier suspicions that he was going over to Upperton U. to visit Zita. So Ron and Kim found themselves with something they hadn't had in a few weeks: a chance to eat with just the two of them. To mark the occasion, Ron suggested they go off campus for the meal, and Kim readily agreed. She only had two conditions. One was that they go somewhere else besides Bueno Nacho, and the other was that they take the Phoenix, since it would be easier this time of day for Ron to find a new parking spot for the motorcycle than it would be for her find a new space for the Sloth.

"Yeah, sure. You just want an excuse to wrap your arms around me," he joked.

Kim laughed, and answered him with a wink and a scorcher of a kiss. They dropped off their school stuff in their rooms and grabbed their helmets. When they got down to the parking lot, Ron immediately understood why he'd gotten a cover for the bike from Hana (read his parents) for his birthday. The fitted canvas tarp was spattered with bird poop from being parked under a tree for three straight days. Before Ron removed the cover and stuffed it into the carrier bag, he backed the motorcycle out enough that it wasn't poking out but was still out from under the tree. He slipped his helmet down, but then flipped up the eye shield.

"Hey, KP, we still haven't asked Wade about a comm. system for these things yet."

Kim shrugged as she slipped on her purple helmet. "Guess we'll just have to make do. How about I squeeze if see something that looks good, right side if it's on the right, left if it's left side of the street?"

"Guess that works," Ron said with a smile as he flipped down the shield and started the engine. It took nearly as long to get off campus as it had for them to find the way to the parking lot the day they'd arrived. Most of this was due to waiting for other students to cross the roads in front of them. However, part of it had to do with a traffic light that was apparently out of order, as it was flashing yellow in all directions. As they sat at the light, Kim glanced across the intersection, and saw what looked like a college-themed restaurant on the right side. She tapped Ron on the shoulder and pointed, and he nodded. After a few more minutes of waiting, Ron drove across and parked in the lot of what turned out to be an entire little shopping center dedicated to serving G.V.U. and its students.

There was a souvenir shop that held far more in the way of G.V.U. memorabilia than the campus bookstore had. Next to that sat a discount book store that Kim suspected might have lower prices on the texts they needed. There was also a Guardian-themed coffee shop, and next to that sat what looked like a burger/diner joint called The Outpost. Actually, that was the name of the whole plaza, but it had evidently all grown off of the restaurant.

"Looks like a good choice, KP," Ron said with a grin.

As they entered, they immediately noticed three things. First off, the walls, furniture, and everything else had been done in the G.V.U. colors of deep royal blue and orange with black trim, with various athletic and extracurricular items decorating the walls. Second, the place looked very cozy, with booths and chair/table combos of different sizes all around yet still set far enough apart that guests didn't feel cramped. Third (and probably most appealing to Ron at least), the dining room was filled with the wonderful smells of the food coming from the kitchen.

"Really good choice, KP," Ron exclaimed as he took an appreciative whiff of the aromas.

Kim smiled, and led him towards a corner booth. The menus were propped between the napkin holder and the windowsill, and they each pulled one out and began perusing the selection. Looking over the menu, it was easy to tell this was more than just a burger place, as the selections ranged from sandwiches to chicken to steak to fish to pastas and even a taco/enchilada platter. Kim flipped hers over, and found that the back of the laminated piece of paper was basically all drinks, deserts, and college-style appetizers like cheese sticks and onion fries. There was even an ice cream bar menu with multiple toppings and flavors.

"Sorry, KP," Ron said after a minute. "Looks like they don't have any."

"What?" she asked, a little confused.

"Salads," he replied. "I see soups, but no salads."

"Actually, most of our stuff comes with a salad automatically," answered the waitress as she walked up. "Can I start you two off with some drinks and an appetizer?"

Kim smiled. "I think I'll take a glass of lemonade if you've got it."

The waitress nodded, and then turned to Ron. "And for you, handsome?"

"I'll take a Coke and an ice water in a small glass for Rufus," Ron replied.

"Rufus?" she asked puzzled, but then her eyes went wide as the mole rat climbed up on the table. "Bert! It's them!"

A gruff voice called from the kitchen window. "What's that Trina? Who's out there? And why does it matter?"

"Bert! Kim, Ron, and Rufus are sitting in our diner!"

The kitchen doors opened, and rather large man with a waist apron and a cook's hat came out wiping his hands on a towel. "Trina, I got orders piling up in the window, so unless you mean Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, you better have a darn good…" He stopped when he laid eyes on the two young people. "Oh…my…word. It _is_ them! Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, welcome to The Outpost Diner. The name's Bert, and I'm a huge fan."

Though slightly embarrassed by the commotion, Kim smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you, Bert."

"Likewise, man," Ron added, extending his hand.

After shaking hands with them both, Bert turned to the waitress. "Trina, these two get this meal on the house."

Kim shook her head. "Thanks, but we really can't do that. We'd rather just be normal customers."

Bert smiled. "Well, at least let me get your picture. And I think I'm going to hang it over this very booth. Matter of fact, I'm going to declare this booth as officially yours."

Kim smiled appreciatively. "Just as long as you don't kick others out just because we come in. We're just regular people after all."

Bert laughed. "Yeah, normal as my award-winning chili cheese fries."

"Hmm. Chili cheese fries," Rufus chittered excitedly, rubbing his tummy.

Bert about fell over. "Holy cow, he does talk. Okay, I know you declined the free food offer, but I'm throwing in a free basket of the fries anyway. I want to get this little guy's opinion on them."

Rufus smiled so wide his two buck teeth actually fit inside his lips, and Kim and Ron looked at each other with amused grins before turning towards the cook.

"Alright, we'll accept that," Ron replied.

Within about fifteen to twenty minutes, they'd received their orders. Kim had gone for a grilled chicken BLT sandwich with onion strings while Ron had chosen a chicken fried steak sandwich with white gravy dipping sauce and steak fries. And of course, the two orders of cheese sticks and the chili fries for Rufus, who instantly approved of both. As they started in on their food (and in Rufus's case plowed in), Kim decided to bring up a topic that had been running through her mind ever since her strange meeting with Dr. Hyde.

"Ron, how would you feel if you had to go off on a mission without me?"

Ron stopped with his most recent bite hanging partway out of his mouth, but he thought enough to chew and swallow before answering. "I'd like to think I'd be alright, but why do you ask?"

Kim sighed. "From the sounds of it, my History professor Dr. Hyde isn't going to let me leave class for missions unless it's something that is really serious. I'm just curious if you'd be alright going solo, or if maybe we need to look at bringing in more help."

Ron swallowed another bite of his sandwich. "You mean about bring Jim and Tim, or maybe Joss, into the team?"

Kim halfway smiled. "Yeah. I mean, I'm still not comfortable with the idea of involving them in what we do, but maybe we might need to start seriously considering expanding the roster. I mean, what would we do if something happens to one of us and Dementor comes back with the Mark I battle suit?" She took another thoughtful bite of her own sandwich.

Ron paused his eating for a moment. "Well, I would be okay with it on one condition."

Kim eyed him as she placed a few onion strings in her mouth. "And that would be?"

He smiled. "That you agree that they are there as back-up if we need them. You have to be willing to let them help, and not just look at them as being there if we can't take the mission."

Kim sighed. "Deal. As long as they've shown they're ready, I'll let them join in."

"Speaking of which," Ron asked as he reached for a chili fry, careful to avoid the side that Rufus was plowing through, "have you had that talk with Joss yet?"

Kim looked at him confused for a minute before it hit her. "Oh, about her advances towards you? No, and I don't know why I keep putting it off. I guess I'm just a little worried how she's going to react. I mean, I know I have to do it, especially with us being engaged. But I'm just afraid she's going to react to this the same way she reacted when she heard me say I didn't like how much she was idolizing me."

Ron grinned a bit. "Guess that means we have plans this weekend."

"Plans?" Kim said a tad bit confused.

Ron smiled. "Sounds to me like we need to make a trip with just the two of us up to Montana and the Lazy C."

Kim nodded. "Good idea. I just hope you're ready."

Now Ron was the one puzzled. "Ready for what?"

Kim grinned. "Nana's reaction to our engagement. She's still staying with Joss and Uncle Slim, remember?"

Ron laughed nervously. "Oh, right. Sure."

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are more than welcome here. In addition to giving me feedback, they also let me know you guys are still enjoying the story. So keep 'em coming. :)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

Chapter 7 is up and running!

Kim and Ron meet the rest of their teachers, and the first week comes to a close.

Sheila (the former Shego) and Hego have a long-needed discussion about important people, and Hego reveals he hasn't been entirely truthful with his sister.

Kim and Ron have some extracurriculars to take care of, but not before they face a dire situation.

Then it's time for the trip to the Lazy C, where an unexpected sitch awaits them.

A much needed talk takes place about matters of the heart, and then a surprise for a certain character.

Finally, a new and dire problem is revealed, and one person appears to be at the center of it.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Ron grinned a bit. "Guess that means we have plans this weekend."

"Plans?" Kim said a tad bit confused.

Ron smiled. "Sounds to me like we need to make a trip with just the two of us up to Montana and the Lazy C."

Kim nodded. "Good idea. I just hope you're ready."

Now Ron was the one puzzled. "Ready for what?"

Kim grinned. "Nana's reaction to our engagement. She's still staying with Joss and Uncle Slim, remember?"

Ron laughed nervously. "Oh, right. Sure."

* * *

Hego cringed as the woman before him made her anger known.

"Alright, Hector, I want the truth, and I want it now!" One of her hands held a fairly recent photo of Hego posing with a man and a woman, and the other was starting to gain a faint green shimmer to it.

"Honestly, Sheila, I don't know where they are. I'd tell you if I did." He held up his hands in defense, well aware of what his sister could do when she got angry. "Please, calm down."

Prior to that summer, the request would have fallen on deaf ears, but this was not the same Sheila Godfrey that had once blasted her older brother just to show him that she had been on the side of evil. However, she and her boyfriend Andy Lipsky had undergone a radical personality rewiring using the last Attitudinator in existence that June, and along with the switch she had gained a large amount of self-control. It was a fact that Hego now found himself very grateful for, as the green glow building around her fist quickly dissipated.

"Alright, but I want the whole story, and I do mean _the whole story_. Everything you know from the day they disappeared just a week after my fifteenth birthday up through now."

Hego sighed. "Sis, I can't tell you everything."

Andy Lipsky, who had been sitting quietly through the whole fiasco that had developed after his girlfriend had found the picture of her older brother with a couple who appeared to be their parents, decided he couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Hector, she has a right to know."

Another sigh. "Look, I'd love to tell you both everything, but I don't know the whole story myself. I don't know why they left, or why they faked their own deaths. I also don't know why they only contacted me when they decided to resurface a few years ago, nor do I understand why they wanted me to keep it a secret from the rest of you. And I certainly don't know what made them decide to reappear when they did, or where they are hiding now."

Sheila eyed him with annoyed disbelief. "Okay, so what do you know? And if I think you're lying you'll find out just what I'm still capable of—just because I'm good now doesn't mean I've lost any of the fight I had a few months ago. And don't think the fact that I'm now three months pregnant is going to slow me down either."

Hego dropped into the blue chair around the Team Go conference table and picked up the remote, clicking it at the screen. A picture of the surveillance camera at the Go City Bueno Nacho appeared. "All I do know is that about a year after you left, they showed up at my Bueno Nacho location and demanded to know why I had let you turn to evil. I didn't even recognize them at first, mainly because they were wearing disguises, but they knew things that only our family knows."

"Like what?" Sheila asked as she stared at the picture, still not believing this.

Hego looked at her pointedly. "Like the fact that Wesley and Werner were only up in the tree house because you wanted them up there. Or that the reason we all suspect I look somewhat normal and can turn off the Go Team Glow, apart from the blue hair, is that I wasn't in the tree house but climbing up to bring the twins down when the comet hit, and was partially shielded by the impurities in the metal that made up the floor of the structure."

Sheila's mouth dropped open in an instant, and for several minutes she was unable to find her voice. Most people who knew of the Godfrey siblings' powers assumed the five of them had all been playing in the tree house. Even fewer who knew that Hego hadn't been up there knew that their parents had told the oldest sibling to bring the twins back down because they were only three at the time. As she turned these thoughts over in her head, another thought occurred to her, one that stung quite a bit more than she expected it to. If in fact their parents were alive, they had seen her sometimes gradual, sometimes drastic fall from the side of justice. In response to this realization, Sheila suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to speak to them and try to explain herself.

"Hector, I need to find them. Please, I've got to talk to them."

Hego looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Sheila, I would like to help. Honestly. But I really don't have any idea where they are. All I know is that they're safe but in hiding. I really don't know anything else."

Andy looked at him for a second, and both the others could see the wheels turning. "You say that they've contacted you a couple times, right Hector?"

Hego nodded. "Yes. Around twelve times since they first showed back up."

"Always in person?"

Hego thought for a moment. "All except for this last time. The last time they got in touch it was over the phone, and the call was filled with static, like they were using a line that wasn't well connected or something."

Andy's mouth curled into a smile that looked similar to the one he used to wear when a scheme was going well. However, this one had a warm glow to it, and seemed to be filled with intrigue. "That's perfect."

The look Sheila gave him left no doubt what her response was going to be. "Have you completely lost it? How is that perfect?"

* * *

The rest of the week for Kim and Ron went relatively smoothly compared to the surprises they'd run into on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, they met the other teachers they would have that semester, and the experience proved just how varied a faculty G.V.U. possessed. Ron's first cooking instructor, Chef Carmine Angelo, immediately threw them into the fire, so to speak, when he had them prepare the best dish they could in one hour—Ron of course won the "unofficial" competition with a succulent and mouth-watering variation on a rather simple recipe of ratatouille that made Chef Angelo actually break form and devour the whole plate rather than take the customary single bite taste. Kim's other class by herself was an Honors Philosophy class, and Professor Alejandro Quitos, while barely understandable with his Spanish accent, proved to have a very intellectual mind behind his quirkiness. He had every single member taking the seminar pondering some rather deep questions by the end of both classes that week, one of them being how they could be expected to take and pass a course that was already pretty much abstract in nature when it would be taught by a teacher they would barely be able to understand on the best of days.

The other two classes Kim and Ron were taking together were also experiences in themselves. Their professor for Honors Biology 101, Dr. Maria Ryder, pretty much just handed them the syllabus and dismissed them, but not before assigning them to read through the synopses on every chapter of the whole book and telling them to be ready for an open book test on the following Monday! The Math class, Honors College Algebra I, also held a teacher who they could barely understand, or at least Ron could barely understand him. Kim understood Professor Akeem Khuluhuboni just fine, even through his South African English accent, and suspected that this might be one class where she was going to have to tutor her fiancé to get him to pass it.

All in all, it was a fairly normal week, even by their unique standards. True, there was one relatively late night mission to Paris on Wednesday to stop a rather large art heist from the Louvre, but it turned out rather well all things considering. As a matter of fact, they used the mission as a test of Ron's solo abilities, with Kim basically doing nothing but being the lookout. Ron performed admirably well, not even needing his Monkey Kung Fu as he took out the ringleader and his five henchmen inside of half an hour. What impressed Kim most was her partner's stealth during the whole thing, as he was able to go practically unnoticed and pick them off one by one right up until it was down to the boss and the last thug. There was even a period of about five minutes where, even though she was watching him like a hawk, Ron completely disappeared from Kim's sight, reappearing a few minutes later behind a thug who had just fallen over unconscious.

On the flight back, she couldn't resist asking him where he'd picked up his apparently new skill set.

Ron shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I think my tapping into the Mystical Monkey Power against Warhok and Warmonga might have removed some of the blocks I had when it came to the training I got back at Yamanouchi. Ever since then, it's like I understand what they were telling me a lot easier."

Surprisingly, that wasn't the only area Ron seemed to be improving. During Professor Barkin's discussion of _The Epic of Gilgamesh_ on Thursday, Ron seemed to be the only one in class who could go toe-to-toe with the teacher on the various topics and ideas the story brought forth. And even though Kim had always been the faster and more thorough reader, Ron seemed to be absorbing like a sponge not only the two novels they'd been assigned, George Orwell's _1984_ and Aldous Huxley's _Brave New World_, but also the information from their biology textbook. And when they quizzed each other on the basics, he missed only one of her questions while she needed review on six missed concepts. Needless to say, Kim was impressed.

"I'm serious, Ron. You're really surprising me this week," she told him as they walked hand in hand to the dorms after their S.P.E.A.R. class let out early Friday afternoon around 1:30. Felix had taken off for Sentinel Station to grab a bite to eat, while Monique had one more class before she was done for the day.

"Just think what you could have done back at Middleton if you'd been this focused," she continued as she laced her fingers with his and gave his hand a loving squeeze.

Ron smiled a bit. "Guess I just needed the proper motivation."

Kim picked up on the game, but kept her mock-seriousness. "And just what has got you so focused now, Mr. Stoppable?"

Ron's grin grew a little. "I've got this truly badical fiancée I'm trying to impress. I just want her to be proud of me."

Kim smiled. "Oh, I think she is," she replied as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "As a matter of fact, I think she might have a bit of a surprise planned for you this evening after you get finished with football practice."

"Sounds fun, but aren't we leaving for Montana right after my practice and your tryouts?" he replied, pulling her closer so he could wrap his arm around her waist.

Kim's grin said it all. "Oh, I think we can make time for this," she whispered seductively.

"Boo Yeah," he whispered in her ear, giving it an affectionate little nibble.

They both dropped off their book bags in their respective Units and grabbed their sports bags. Ron of course had football practice down at G.V.U. Stadium, while Kim had the cheerleader tryouts to get to at Guardian Coliseum. Since the two athletic facilities were relatively close to each other, and since they were both carrying somewhat heavy sports bags, Kim consented that they should take the Sloth. Especially since, as Ron pointed out, that would mean a few extra minutes for fun before they left on their weekend trip to see her relatives.

After dropping him off at the field house entrance on the north end of the stadium, Kim pulled out and was starting to turn towards the arena when she saw something that looked a little off. She knew she would be cutting it close to get to the tryouts as it was, but something about the sitch she was witnessing just didn't seem right. Cautiously, she pulled a little closer and sat there for a minute observing.

In the parking lot, there was a pair of young men who were apparently having some sort of argument, and it was starting to turn physical, although that she passed off as two guys needing to be guys. Judging from their sizes and the lettermen jackets they were wearing, Kim could only assume that both were members of the football team. She could also safely assume that both of them were easily two to three times bigger than she was, but that was the normal size of your basic henchman, so that didn't strike her as strange either. No, what caught her attention was that one of them seemed to be constantly reaching for his pocket and then pulling away, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to pull something out. She put the car in park, and stepped out, and was starting to approach when she felt Ron's hand on her shoulder.

"KP, what's up? Did I forget something?"

Kim shook her head. "Ron, do you know those two?" she asked as she pointed at the quarrelers.

Ron took in the scene in an instant, and an immediate look of dread crossed his face. "Kim, mission mode! Now!" Then he pointed at another player crossing into the field house. "Jerry! Go get Coach D. and the trainers! Hurry!"

"Jerry" took off at a sprint into the building, while Ron immediately began running towards the two scuffling behemoths. Without a word needed, Kim followed. As they were running, Kim saw the flash a second before she saw the blood. The guy who had been debating with his pocket had finally decided, pulling out a butterfly knife. In an instant, he'd flipped it a few times to open it and slashed it across the other guy's arm, evidently nicking something serious as blood started spurting out and wouldn't stop.

In the next second, Team Possible had reacted. Although he was half the size of the assailant, Ron had the knife flying out of the his hand and the young man on the ground with his arms behind him in the blink of an eye, while Kim quickly formed a makeshift bandage by removing the injured player's letterman jacket and tying it tight over the wound, holding her hand to the spot where the cut was. She also tried to get him to keep looking at her and stay conscious.

"My name is Kim. What's yours?"

The young man's face was a tad green from seeing so much of his own blood. "Danny," he said with a ragged breath. "Danny Adams."

"What position do you play, Danny?"

He gasped. "Umm…right guard."

Kim could see the shock from blood loss coming. "Danny, look at me. Focus on my face. Keep it clear as best as you can."

A few feet away, Ron was snarling at the young man he had pinned to the ground. "WHAT THE HELL, Warren? Why would you take it that far? Nothing, especially not that, is worth this!"

Kim could hear the ambulance coming, and prayed she was doing enough to keep the young man in her arms alive. Less than a minute later, a middle-aged man that Kim could only assume was the team's head trainer dropped down to his knees on Danny's other side. He immediately began assessing the young man's vitals, as well as putting more pressure on the jacket-bandage covering the gash. Kim shifted her position so that she could keep Danny's head cushioned easier. By this point, a group of players and others were starting to circle around. A few of them were assisting Ron in holding Warren down, but several were crowding around Kim, Danny, and the trainer.

"Keep back, everyone!" Kim shouted. "The more air he can get the better chance he's got!"

The effect of her outburst was immediate, and everyone took a few steps back. Thankfully, the ambulance and campus security arrived a few minutes later. EMTs took over care of Danny, and Kim stood up and backed out of their way. She stood there observing as they loaded him onto a gurney and put him in the ambulance, then took off with the vehicle's lights and sirens blaring. A few members of campus security also took over custody of Warren from the players, while one of them questioned Ron and Kim on what they had seen and heard. Through Ron's explanation of the altercation, Kim learned that the fight was over a misunderstanding about a girl, and had to agree wholeheartedly that it definitely wasn't worth what the sitch had become, with one of the players under arrest and the other fighting for his life. They were just about to leave when the officer who had been questioning them got a call on his radio. He nodded as he took it, and then turned towards them with a large smile on his face.

"You're Kim, right?"

She nodded. "Yes sir."

He smiled again. "The doctors at the hospital told me just now to pass along their thanks to you. They say that what you did with that jacket and keeping Danny Adams conscious probably saved that young man's life."

Kim smiled, and was about to say something when Ron put his arm around her.

"Don't you dare say it, KP. This was very big. Someone's still alive specifically because of you."

Kim smiled, and let him win. "Okay."

A few minutes later, Kim finally made it to the cheer team tryouts. Coach Leslie Williams took one look at the red-head and her still blood-stained clothes and instantly understood, even without the young woman's explanation of why she was late. At Kim's request and insistence, the coach still put her through the regular tryout once she'd changed into her workout clothes and washed the blood off her skin, but it was clear from the look on the faces of the rest of the team that the audition was now nothing more than a formality. Of course, it probably helped that Danny just happened to be the very-well-liked boyfriend of one of the top junior cheerleaders, Paula Henson. The moment she heard what had happened, the girl took off for the hospital, but not before she made it known that Kim had better be on the squad when she got back.

By the time Kim and Ron made it back to the dorms around 4:00, they barely had time to grab their suitcases for the weekend so that they could leave and make it to her uncle's ranch before midnight. As they started out on the road, Kim made a quick call on her cell to let her Uncle know they were leaving and would be at the Lazy C that night. Then she looked over at Ron in the driver's seat with a smile on her face. She noticed with a bit of pride that he was smiling as well.

"Sorry we didn't get to enjoy the fun I wanted us to have before we left," she said after a bit.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'd say it was small price to pay for Danny's life."

"Definitely," Kim agreed. Then she thought of something. "Hey, Ron? What would you do if something like that involved me?"

Ron glanced at her with a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean, KP?"

"I'm talking about what would you do if you were in Warren's place and the girl that he and Danny were fighting over was me?"

He scratched his chin. "To tell the truth, I'm not really sure. I know I wouldn't take it that far, but I don't know how far it would go. I mean, I'd like to think I'd just try and talk it out, but you never really know what your reaction will be until the situation is put on you. Know what I'm getting at?"

Kim shifted in her seat a little. "Not really, Ronnie. I mean, I definitely wouldn't go so far as to hurt someone like that."

Ron sighed a bit. "Kim, what about that fight with Adrena Lynn?"

"That was different, Ron. She's a villain who took…"

"Who took your guy, right? Kim, we're both human, and we both have things about our personalities we don't like. I mean, I can get pretty focused on something, and if it were on the fact that someone is putting you down or saying some not-so-nice things about you, I can't guarantee I wouldn't overreact to some extent."

Kim pondered that for a moment. "Okay, then promise me something, Ron."

"Whatever it is, I promise, KP."

Kim shook her head. "No, seriously, listen to this before you agree to it, because I'm very serious about it. Not that I think anything ever will, but if something happens that you think might hurt me if it gets back to me, please tell me regardless. I'd rather here it from you than from someone else. Will you promise me that?"

Ron took a deep breath. "KP, I made that promise to myself the day I put that ring on your finger."

She turned towards him and placed her hand on his arm. "Then let me hear you promise it to me now."

Another deep breath, this one followed by a smile. "Regardless of what the problem is, I promise I'll tell you, KP."

She smiled. "Thanks, Ronnie. And I promise I'll do the same."

"Sounds good. Now," he said as he patted her hand, "why don't you try and get some sleep, okay? It's probably gonna be a few hours before we get to the Lazy C, and you look kind of tired."

The suggestion brought an unexpected yawn from Kim's mouth. "Okay, just make sure you wake me if you get too sleepy to drive."

"You got it, KP," he said with a grin. "By the way, do you mind if I turn on the radio a bit?" No answer. "KP?"

He looked over at her, and noticed with a smile that she was already slightly curled up in her seat and fast asleep. He also noticed that Rufus had crawled out of his pocket, and was now curled in a ball on the young woman's lap, nestled under one of her hands and snoozing right along with her. With a grin he turned his eyes back towards the road. Normally, they'd cover this distance by flying, but there was something gratifyingly peaceful to Ron about a normal drive like this, so he decided to go it on the ground, taking I-25 north out of Colorado and up to I-90 in Wyoming before following that into Montana. Kim slept through most of the drive, only waking just minutes before they arrived on the outskirts of Shepherd, Montana, where Uncle Slim Possible's ranch was located. They both shared a dry laugh as they drove past what was left of the Crooked D, remembering with some humor the ridiculous outfit that Drakken had worn during that scheme.

It was very nearly 11:30 at night when they pulled through the welcoming arch to the Lazy C, and they were surprised to still see several lights on in the main house. One light in particular that definitely intrigued them was the light that was still on in Joss's room. That one wasn't so much on as it was apparently searching. In fact, it looked to both of them like the main light was out while a high-powered flashlight scanned the darkness outside. The moment the light spotted them, it winked out quickly. Kim and Ron looked at each other with matching 'oh boy' expressions as Ron turned off the engine. A few minutes later, Slim Possible came out on the porch waving, his customary cowboy hat sitting straight on his head as always.

"Hey there, Kimmie. How's my fav-o-rite niece doing?"

"Doing fine, Uncle Slim," she said as she walked up and hugged him. "And how are you?"

"Cain't complain none. Ol' Tornado threw me for a ride a few days back, but Ah'm pretty much back to normal. Ah see you're still hanging around the lanky drink of water yeh had with you at gradjeation." He extended his hand towards Ron. "Welcome back to the Lazy C, Ron."

Ron set down their suitcases which he'd pulled out of the Sloth's trunk and shook the man's hand. "Glad to be back, Mr. Slim."

"Eh, c'mon. Tain't no need for any formalities here. Jest call me Slim."

Ron smiled. "I'll work on that, Sir."

Slim laughed a bit. "Well, at least mah niece roped herself a guy who can learn to be a respectful gentleman in yeh."

Kim grinned. "Wish I could take credit, Uncle Slim, but that's all Ron." She glanced into the house. "Are Joss and Nana still up?"

Slim sighed. "Well, Ma's already done hit the hay, and Joss's supposed to have done that, though Ah reckon she's prolly still up. But why don't we jest get yeh both bunked down and do the welcomin' thing in the mornin'. After all, Ah'll bet yeh both are dog-tired at this point, especially with the week yeh jest had and the long drive."

Both Kim and Ron nodded, and Slim led them into the house and to one of the guest rooms. The two teens were a bit surprised to see only one bed, but before Kim could ask, her uncle held up a hand.

"Now don't go gettin' no ideas, but if that piece o' shine on my niece's left hand is any indication, you two're already a lot more comfortable with each other than mah little brother wants to admit. Jest don't do anything beyond what yeh've already done, and we'll leave it at that. And once Ma sees that lil' sparkler, Ah'm sure she'll agree with what Ah got set up. Now good night, and we'll talk again in the mornin'." With that he smiled and shut the door, clicking the switch as he left so that the only light in the room came from a single lamp on the far nightstand.

Kim and Ron looked at each other with a touch of nervousness. Sure, they'd thought about this, and a few times had set it up where they did fall asleep in each other's arms, but this was the first time it appeared okay for them to do that. And slightly worse than that, in Ron's mind at least, was that he hadn't brought any real pajamas, just boxer shorts. Quietly, he turned around and began stripping down, intending to slide over under the covers the moment he was down to his boxers. He paused only long enough to turn his pants into a bit of a nest for Rufus on the dresser next to his side of the bed. The mole rat chittered in a mix of appreciation and exhaustion, and was asleep almost the moment he'd regained his balled up position.

"Something wrong, Ronnie?" Kim asked after a minute.

"N…n…no," he stuttered a bit, still not looking at her as he sat down on the bed. "I just didn't plan this very well cause I thought we were going to be in separate rooms. So I…"

"Didn't pack anything to sleep in?" she finished coyly.

"Yeah…that," he said nervously.

"Me either," she said as she kissed the back of his neck sensuously.

Ron immediately noticed something…or rather, he noticed the _absence_ of something. He should have been feeling the soft cotton or silk of her pajama top. Instead, he felt only skin and satin pressed against his back. Nervously hiding his gulping, he reached back and wrapped his arms around her lithe form as it pressed up against him. The maneuver served a dual purpose: first of all, it allowed him to touch her, and second, it allowed him to deduce what she was wearing without actually looking at it. With a bit of nervous excitement, he realized she wasn't wearing pajama bottoms either. Immediately, his body reacted, and he started taking deep breaths to calm certain things down. Once that difficult task was accomplished, he turned back towards her, and immediately realized that the past few minutes he'd spent getting his anatomy to relax had been a completely futile effort.

Kim was kneeling there on the bed in a dark plum colored satin and lace underwear set, and the small table lamp lighting the room had her perfectly silhouetted, making it look like she was a shining beacon in the dark. The lighted outline also had the effect of accenting every single curve she possessed, which made her look even more perfect than he already saw her to be. But what really set his heart to thumping was the way she was looking at him. Her eyes were a mixture of lust and shy nervousness, and the curve of her mouth was just barely tilted upwards in a shy smile. Evidently, despite the confidence her voice had possessed just a moment earlier, she was as nervous about the sleeping arrangements as he was. Or maybe it was that she was nervous about _his_ reaction to them intentionally sleeping in the same bed for an entire night. Whichever it was, at that moment, he couldn't think of a single thing beyond touching her beautiful face.

The kiss started tame, but it didn't stay that way long. Soon, hands were roving and tongues were dancing, and while the hands didn't go anywhere they hadn't been before, they certainly went everywhere they knew. There was one tense moment when, in a normal make-out move, Ron's hands slid over Kim's butt and she pulled back in surprise. However, she quickly recovered, assuaging his fears by going after his earlobe. Her efforts were rewarded by the same treatment on her own ear, followed by a trail of kisses placed softly down the side of her neck and ending just above the thin strip between the cups of her bra.

At that point, she pulled a move he could swear was straight out of her sixteen forms of kung fu that landed him softly on his stomach. He was about to gently protest when he felt her settling in to position, and then the rubbing began on his shoulders and slowly progressed to his back. He shifted his arms to cross up under his head, and let her soft fingers work out the stress.

"Ronnie, you're really tense back here between your shoulder blades. Is something wrong?"

Ron sighed. "No, not really. I guess I'm just nervous about talking to your cousin tomorrow."

Kim continued her rubbing. "Why's that?"

Ron turned his head to the other side to glance out the window. "I'm not really sure, KP. I guess I just don't want to hurt her feelings if she has been crushing on me."

Kim stopped massaging and lay down on the side he was facing, her hand gently laying on his face. "You're thinking we should talk to her first before we let the engagement cat out, huh?"

Ron sighed, and pulled her in closer as he rolled onto his back. "I guess."

Kim snuggled up closer into the crook of his arm, laying her head on his chest. "Ron, Joss's a big girl, and if there's one thing I know about her as my cousin it's that she's tough. And I also know it would be better to do this now than put it off. Especially if she's been looking at you the way we think she has."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks KP," he said with a kiss to the top of her head. Then he shifted them both so he could pull the sheets up around their shoulders.

She yawned demurely. "No big, Ron…" she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep, her fiancé not far behind her as the exotic smell of her shampoo proved a potent sleep aid.

* * *

Felix returned to the Patriot Towers around 8:30 that evening to find campus security combing the building. At first that seemed normal, as there had already been a few incidents in the halls caused by new students getting their first true taste of real freedom. However, Eli Zenkman stopped him just inside the door with a look of worry on his face. Monique was standing next to the bearded young man, an identically frantic look on her face.

"Hey, Felix, have you seen Kim or Ron? We can't get in touch with them," she said with a frown.

Felix smiled a bit as he waved his hand through the air. "Most likely near the Colorado/Wyoming border by this time. Ron said something last night about them heading up to Montana this evening to see some of her family."

Monique snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right. She mentioned they were heading up to visit her Nana and Uncle Slim this weekend."

Eli smiled a small bit. "Well, that's one part of the mystery solved."

Felix scratched his head. "One part? What are you guys talking about?"

Eli shook his head. "I think it's best if you see it for yourself, Felix. And Monique, I think it's safe for you to see it now too."

The young man started to lead them both down the hallway, stopping only momentarily to assure the two policemen who were blocking the way. "It's okay, officers. This young man is one of the occupants of the Unit. And she's a close friend who can help us determine if anything's been taken."

The officers let them pass and Felix and Monique followed the RA to the entrance to the guys' unit where they received a huge shock. The main room itself seemed fine other than the cabinets and drawers being in disarray, but both bedrooms were in shambles. Books were thrown everywhere, and there were several papers littering the floors. In Felix's room, several of his models had been knocked off the shelves, and his clothes were everywhere. But other than that, nothing of significance appeared to have been done.

However, Ron's room appeared to have taken the brunt of the damage. The window was smashed, revealing the point of entry and exit the would-be thieves had probably taken. Several of the young man's pants were lying on the ground with their pockets haphazardly turned out, as well as practically every shirt he owned save for a few t-shirts. His sock drawer had been tossed completely, and was now hanging out at a drunkenly rakish angle. The same could be said for the drawer where he kept his towels, and for the area next to where Rufus's sleeping cage used to sit. Said item was now on the floor with the majority of its cedar shavings spilled out on the floor. Felix immediately pointed to the closet and whispered something to Monique, who quickly walked over and punched in a code on a keypad. The back panel of the closet turned, revealing Ron's battle suit still waiting and ready to go. Monique quickly pressed in a second, different code, and the panel closed back up to look like a normal wall.

Felix scanned the room and rubbed his chin. "Well, I don't _think_ anything is missing. Do you Monique?"

She scratched her head. "No, and it really FMO. I mean, who breaks in and doesn't take anything."

Eli scanned the room with them. "Someone who didn't find what they were looking for, maybe?"

Felix furrowed his brow. "But then…what were they looking for?"

* * *

The next morning, Kim and Ron woke early and dressed for their early morning workout. Today was a running workout, and they wanted to get an early start so they could get cleaned up before breakfast. However, they somehow forgot about the Lazy C being a real, working ranch, and they ran into a fully-dressed-for-the-day Joss as she came down the stairs. Apparently she'd stopped dressing in an outfit similar to Kim's old mission wear since they'd last seen her, as she now had on a pair of faded jeans, a dark red work shirt, and a pair of somewhat scuffed, western-style boots. She'd also let her hair grow out a bit, and had it pulled back behind both her ears.

"Hey, Kim. Nice trip?" she said with a country-style grin.

Kim smiled at her younger cousin. "Not much different than any other, Joss. Though Ron did the driving while I slept through most of it."

For some reason, it appeared the younger Possible hadn't noticed that Ron was there until that moment. When she did, her cheeks quickly gained a very un-Possible like flush. "Oh…mornin'…mornin', Ron."

She then slowly backed up, stumbling on the bottom step before turning and racing back up the stairs. As she left, Kim and Ron turned to look at each other, the same unwanted thought running through their minds.

_Yep, she's crushing hard on me/you._

The run for the morning traced the outer-most fence of Slim's property. They actually ran it on the inside, using the junctures with the inside fences as sort of makeshift obstacle course. The two of them ran/jogged the circuit a few times, alternating what they did at each fence joint with each new circuit. The first go-round they vaulted over the top rail, then the second time they rolled under the bottom one, and then alternated it on the third lap before returning to vaulting on the fourth trip. After that, they alternated who called out what was next. The last of their ten laps was actually done entirely like this, with one of them calling out what to do just before they reached the joint. Surprisingly, even with the barb wire encircling the top most rails, Ron never once snagged or ripped his pants.

As they headed back towards the house, they both caught sight of a pair of bluish-green eyes staring out through a crack in the barn. Nodding to each other, they entered…just in time to see a head of brownish-red hair disappear out the back door, leaving only them and the robot horses that Slim stored in the building. Kim sighed as she sat down on a hay bale.

"Ugh, is she gonna be like this the whole trip?"

Ron smiled and sat down beside her. "You know, maybe we're approaching this from the wrong angle."

"Meaning?" Kim replied with a cocked eyebrow.

Ron sighed. "Maybe what she's worried about is talking to me in front of you."

"So then what do you suggest? That we talk to her separately."

Ron nodded, and whispered the next part in her ear. "Unless I miss my guess, she's watching us right now. I'll sit here, and you go try to find her and talk to her. I'll wait here, and if she shows up here first, I'll talk to her. Then afterwards we can talk to her together."

Kim nodded, and got up to go look for her cousin. The moment she disappeared around the corner, Ron heard a sneeze coming from the other side of the robot horses' stall. He slowly got up and casually walked towards the sound as if he were inspecting the mechanical equines. Right before he reached the last one, Joss appeared from her hiding spot. Even though she no longer wore an outfit identical to Kim's old mission wear, it still struck him just at that moment just how similar the two cousins looked, and how if he weren't with Kim he might be tempted to look into what he felt towards the younger girl. However, he knew his whole heart was devoted to Kim, and so he steeled himself for the conversation to come.

"Hey, Joss. Something on your mind?"

The younger Possible leaned against the front fence of the stalls. "Not really. Jest wonderin' what the sitch is between you and Cousin Kim. Cause you two're acting like you either got the biggest secret or are completely blind to whatcha got."

Ron smiled. "Look, Joss, before I go into that, I have to ask something. What did you mean by those emails you sent me?"

Joss blushed a little and looked at her feet. "Well, to be honest, Ah think yer kinda cute…"

Now Ron sighed, and sat down on a two-high stack of hay bales. "Look, Joss. Things between me and Kim are different than the last time we were here."

"Meaning?" she said with a shy look at him.

"We're more than just friends now. We've actually been dating since the end of the Lil' Diablos mission."

"Oh," she replied a little forlornly. "Ah see."

Ron could tell the revelation stung a bit. "Joss, I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea, but that's part of why I stopped replying to your emails."

Joss smiled, but Ron could still see the hurt in her eyes. "Ah guess Ah kinda figured that. Does Kim know 'bout it?"

Ron sighed again. "Joss, I had to tell her. And not just because you're her cousin. I don't know if there's any easy way to tell you this, but I'm completely in love with her, and I have been for some time."

Joss turned away and leaned so that her arms were on the fence of the stall. "When?"

Ron was a little confused. "When what?"

"When did you start realizin' you loved her?"

Ron got up and walked over towards her, trying to comfort her. "I honestly don't have a good answer for you, Joss. I mean, me and Kim have always been close, but I can't really pinpoint when it turned into more than best friends. I know there were some clues to it, but I don't think either of us ever really stopped to look at it until that night we were tied up at the Bueno Nacho Headquarters."

Joss looked at him, a slight ray of hope in her eyes. "So if you'd found someone else before that it might have worked out?"

Ron shook his head. "To tell the truth, I did a couple times, but it never felt right. I can't really explain it, but me and Kim have a connection with each other that neither one of us can explain. It's part of why we're good friends, part of why we have so much success on all the missions. And it's a big factor in why we work as a couple. I know for me at least that it seemed like every other relationship I had could never go beyond just having a good time."

Joss hung her head again. "So then you two were meant to be together."

Ron was silent for a moment. Then he placed his hand on Joss's shoulder, and was relieved when she didn't do anything to object. "Joss, I can't guarantee it would have been that way with everyone else. Just like I can't guarantee that me and Kim would have worked if we'd gotten together any earlier than we did. And besides that, I'd bet all my Mystical Monkey Powers and every bit of my cooking skills that everyone has someone out there for them. Sometimes that person is like me and Kim, and right in front of the person they're supposed to be with. Other times, they may be on opposite sides of the globe, like Bonnie and Junior…"

"Who?" Joss said with a questioning look.

Ron laughed a bit. "Bonnie Rockwaller is Kim's high school rival, and Junior is the younger member of the Seniors."

Joss smiled. "Oh, you mean the cheerleader who hates my cousin and the guy who wants to be a pop star."

Ron nodded. "Right. That has got to be the oddest hook-up in the world, apart from their similar personalities, and it wasn't until Bonnie tagged along on a mission with us that the two of them were able to meet. Point is, there's no way to know who you're supposed to end up with until you do manage to find them. For me and Kim, that's us, and for you, you might meet him later today if you're lucky. Or it might take a few more years. You just have to follow your heart, and speak up when you think you found what it wants."

Joss looked up and grinned again, then wrapped her arms around Ron in a friendly hug. Ron smiled, and returned the gesture. He smiled again when he saw Kim looking around the barn door at the two of them and nodding, a grin on her face as well. Joss noticed her cousin a moment later, and smiled at her as well.

"Sorry, Kim. Guess Ah let things get a little outta hand," she said as she hugged her cousin.

"No big, Joss. And I'm sure Ron's right about there being someone out there for you."

"Ah hope so," Joss said with a shrug. "Cause Ah'm gettin' tired of the solo act."

Kim smiled. "Speaking of which, me and Ron were wondering something."

"What's that?" Joss said as she once again leaned on the stall fence.

Ron grinned. "Do you still like to follow Kim's missions?"

"Well, of course," she huffed with a smile. "Shoot, Ah still keep track of 'em as accurately as Ah can."

"Well," replied Kim, "how would you like to get a little first-hand experience then?"

The young girl's blue-green eyes got wide as saucers. "Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"

Kim held up her hand. "Yes, but you've got to understand you'd have to work your way up just like we did. We're not going to be Okaying you going on missions against the likes of Dementor or the Seniors yet. First you've got to prove you can handle yourself. Also, you can't just go on the big missions and pass on the small ones. One of the reasons Team Possible exists is to help people, and sometimes that means something as simple as getting a cat out of a tree."

Joss looked like she could about pop with excitement. "But I get to join the team!"

Ron smiled. "There's a couple of other conditions as well, Joss. First and foremost, you're dad has to approve. And second, the missions are just a side project, a hobby if you will. You've got keep up with your school and your social life and not let the missions consume you. Also, if it comes down to it, your health and your life take precedence over the hero work."

Joss grinned like a cat that had eaten a canary. "Meaning no goin' on missions if Ah've got a cold and Ah'm supposed to be home in bed."

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Right. So, what do you say? Do you want to join Team Possible?"

The response could be heard for miles.

"YAHOO!" Joss yelled at the top of her lungs as she jumped a lot farther into the air than Ron or Kim thought she was able to. "You bet Ah do!"

"What's all tha commotion about?" Slim asked as he rounded the corner and entered the barn.

Joss was fairly dancing on the spot. "Cousin Kim just asked me to join the mission work with her and Ron!"

"She did?" he asked with a bit of surprise as he eyed Kim a bit.

Kim smiled. "Yes, but there are conditions, Uncle Slim. The first is that you have to approve of it, and the second is that she can't let it affect the rest of her life. She still has to keep up with her school and her social life."

Slim removed his hat and scratched his head. "Well, if you two think she's ready, Ah guess Ah don't have any complaints. Jest as long as she stays safe."

Ron nodded. "We plan to make sure of that, Sir. And she's gonna have to work her way up to the super-villains just like we did."

Slim seemed to relax a little at that. "Iffn you don't mind, Ah got one or two other conditions she's gotta meet before Ah'll give mah okay."

Joss paused mid-hop. "What's that?"

Slim smiled. "Iffn you stop havin' fun with it, yeh quit. And yeh never quit a mission in the middle—yeh always see it through to tha end."

Joss grinned and ran up to throw her arms around her dad's neck. "Deal."

Kim smiled and extended her hand. "Well, then, welcome to Team Possible, Joss."

Kim swore the handshake Joss gave her could have ripped her arm off if her cousin had tried any harder.

Ron grinned. "Now the only thing to do is make it official." He pressed the button on his wrist Kimmunicator, but nothing happened. "Uh, KP, looks like I forgot to charge my batteries. Maybe you should do this."

Kim was about to admonish him when she realized her own activation button wasn't working either. She grinned sheepishly. "Guess we both forgot," she said with a nervous laugh. "I'll just use the one in the Sloth."

A few minutes later, Ron and the others were gathered around the driver's side door while Kim sat in the driver's seat and activated the Kimmunicator system that Jim and Tim had installed in the Sloth. The minute it came on, the familiar tones started ringing in urgency.

_Beep, Beep, Be-Deep. Beep, Beep, Be-Deep. Beep, Beep, Be-Deep._

Kim's grin was one of embarrassment as Wade's face appeared on the screen.

"So there you guys are," he answered with a relieved sigh. "I've been trying to contact you since yesterday afternoon."

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Sitches, I'm afraid," he said with wry smile. "You guys picked kind of a bad time to go off the grid without telling anyone."

Ron ducked his head in the vehicle. "Actually, we forgot to charge our Kimmunicators."

Wade grinned. "Well, be that as it may, we've got a couple of situations to deal with. Thankfully it's nothing world-threatening, so it can't wait until you tell me what you called me for. Because I'm betting you wouldn't have called me on the Sloth line if you hadn't tried to contact me already with your personal units. Where are you guys, anyway?"

Kim smiled. "Well, first off, we're in Montana at Uncle Slim's ranch. And secondly, can you make another wrist Kimmunicator?"

Wade grinned. "Who for and what color?"

Joss poked her head in through the passenger side door. "The light brown of desert camo, please."

Wade nodded. "Well, then, welcome to Team Possible, Joss. Should be ready in about two days, and I'll have it shipped to you. To the Lazy C Ranch in Shepherd, Montana, right?"

Joss smiled. "That's right."

Kim nodded. "So what's the other sitches, Wade?"

The tech genius's grin vanished. "Okay, first of all, I have specific instructions that you two are not to rush back and are to enjoy your weekend at the ranch. Those orders come directly from your parents and your roommates."

Kim cocked an eyebrow. "What happened, Wade?"

He sighed. "First, someone broke into Ron and Felix's unit. Felix and Monique confirmed that nothing was missing, but that it looks like whoever did this was searching for something Ron might have with taken with you."

"Something we took with us?" Ron said, scratching his head. "But all we brought were clothes. We didn't even bring the battle suits on this trip."

Wade nodded. "I know. Felix and Monique checked on the suit, and it doesn't look like the thieves ever touched it. Secondly and probably related, Ron's dad and sister were attacked at home."

"WHAT?" Ron shouted in shock. "Who did this?"

"Calm down, Ron," Wade said with a grim look. "We don't know all the details yet. All we know the following few things. First, your dad was knocked unconscious from the start, and never saw who or what did it. All he remembers is a black shadow as he slumped to the ground. Second, Hana wasn't hurt, but she keeps saying that "Monkeys hurt Daddy and the house." Third, whoever did this gave the same treatment to your room at home that they gave your room at G.V.U. And finally, even though they were apparently searching for something, it appears they didn't find it, because once again nothing was taken."

Kim thought for a moment. "Well, I think it's obvious that Monkey Fist's monkey ninjas are behind this, but I've never heard of them acting on their own. And I wonder what they were after. Ron, are you sure you didn't bring anything on this trip but clothes?"

Ron was silent for a bit with his hand to his chin as he went through everything that he had packed in his suitcase. "Only other things with me are my toiletries, the two books we're supposed to read for Professor Barkin, our biology textbook, and a couple of recipes Chef Angelo gave us to look over and figure out what spices we can add without losing the flavors. Other than that and the normal stuff I carry around, nothing else got brought."

Joss looked at him for a bit. "Maybe it's something you always have with you?"

Ron took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. "Hate to say it, but nothing comes to mind."

Wade nodded grimly. "Well keep on it, Ron. The sooner we figure out what whoever's been doing this is after, the sooner we can figure out their motives and put a stop to their plan."

With that, the screen switched off, and Kim turned towards Ron. "No ideas at all?"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing. It's weird. What could I always have with me that they'd be after?"

* * *

a/n

Apologies to anyone who can translate African languages. When I was naming Professor Akeem Khuluhuboni, the math professor, I wanted something that sounded like it came from Africa, but I don't speak any of the dialect that come from there. So for all I know I could have called him a "perverted pig fart" or worse. Hopefully, his name doesn't translate to anything offensive, and I achieved my goal. If it does mean something bad or wrong, please let me know, and I'll find some other name for him.

And as always, comments and reviews are always welcome. I'm also trying to get into the habit of responding to all my reviews, as I value all the comments I get, even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Point is, I enjoy any and all comments and reviews you feel called to give. :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

Chapter 8 is up and running!

Kim and Ron reveal the big news to Nana, and her reaction is a slight surprise to both of them.

A group makes another move on their plans, drawing the unsuspecting Team Possible tighter into the trap.

Kim asks her family member for their opinion on a touchy subject, and the answers come as a bit of a surprise.

Joss has a gift for her cousin, something that sets Kim to wondering a few things, and to an "interesting" talk between Kim and Ron on their way back to the G.V.U. campus.

A "general" rallies the troops for what could be a big operation.

A long-awaited situation finally happens, though not in a manner any of those involved ever expected!

And the mystery of the monkey ninjas and their exploits continues to build...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Wade nodded grimly. "Well, keep on it, Ron. The sooner we figure out what whoever's been doing this is after, the sooner we can figure out their motives and put a stop to their plan."

With that, the screen switched off, and Kim turned towards Ron. "No ideas at all?"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing. It's weird. What could I always have with me that they'd be after?"

Joss exited the vehicle and came around to his side. "Ah'll bet it's something you don't even think about half tha time."

Ron continued to think about it as he and Kim headed into the house to get cleaned up from their morning run, but still, nothing came to mind. Or at least, nothing that a bunch of ninja monkeys would be interested in. It also puzzled him and Kim both that Monkey Fist's simian lackeys would be operating on what seemed to be their own purposes. Although a few of the monkeys had shown individuality like Chippy, the monkey who Ron had mistaken for a transformed Kim during their sophomore year at Middleton, most of them seemed to operate only as an extension of their demented master. Were the monkey's now calling their own shots? And if not, who was leading them with Monkey Fist still encased in stone?

Ron was so perplexed by the puzzle that he didn't even notice when Nana Possible asked him something until Kim elbowed him in the ribs.

"Huh?" he said with a confused look at the slightly tweaked red-head.

Kim motioned across the table with a nod. "Nana asked you about the classes you're taking at G.V.U. this semester."

Ron nodded politely to the old woman. "Sorry about that, Nana P. I'm a little distracted this morning."

Nana smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ronald. Kimberly Anne already filled me in about what happened to your family and your dorm room." She waved at her mouth a little. "Slim, did you add in those peppers of yours again?"

"Guilty as charged, Ma," he replied with polite nod. "Though Ah thought Ah only put 'em in mine and Joss's plate. Guess one or two must've got put in yours by mistake."

Joss fixed her father with a grin. "Or you're still trying to get Nana to approve of you eatin' 'em."

Slim eyed his daughter with a laugh in his eye. "Now hold on there, Missy. You like 'em just as much as Ah do."

Nana quickly put in her two cents. "Yes Slim, she does, but her doctor's not the one who told her to slow down on eating them, either."

Slim sighed a bit. "Yes, Ma."

Nana smiled and nodded appreciatively. "Now, Kimberly Anne. As I understand it there's a big reason the two of you came up to see us this weekend."

Kim smiled and looked at Ron, who nodded, and then turned back towards her grandmother. "Well, there is in fact. And it's actually something pretty big. Something you said you hoped happened before you left to be with Grandpa."

Nana's eyes narrowed at the two. "Young lady, if you're about to tell me you're pregnant, you two had better be ready to start running, especially you, Ronald. You know you're not supposed to do that without making it right with God first."

Two pairs of hands immediately began rapidly waving a negative, although Ron did back his chair up a bit as if he were about to take her suggestion and head for the hills. Kim however quickly leaned forward and spoke up.

"No, no, no. Nothing like that," she defended rapidly. "We're still a long way from being to that point. Although this is a step on the right path towards that."

Nana didn't appear nearly convinced. "Kimberly Anne, you've got about two seconds to start making sense."

Kim's smile returned. "Well, if at all possible, do you think you could stick around with us for at least four more years or so?" She then purposefully placed her left hand, which she had been holding in her lap, on the table. "Cause we'd really like you to be there."

Her grandmother kept eyeing her peculiarly. "Young lady, what are you getting at?"

Slim smiled. "Ma, take a look at her hand."

The look Nana shot him probably could have cut glass, but she followed the suggestion. When she saw the ring, she appeared to count Kim's fingers a few times before it finally sunk in.

"Kimberly Anne, Ronald, is that what I think it is?"

Kim grinned. "Yes, it is."

"Meaning you two are…"

Ron smiled. "Yes Ma'am. I've asked your granddaughter to marry me, and she said yes."

Joss's squeal cut the tension like a scalding hot knife through butter. "Cousin Kim and Ron are getting' hitched!"

The look on Nana Possible's face immediately melted into a happy glow. "Oh my word. I'm so happy for you two. Now, tell me: when did this happen?"

Kim sighed a bit, a trace of nervousness hidden behind the release. "Well, it actually happened back in May. Two days after my birthday in fact. But we didn't tell anyone because we know there's going to be a spectacle when it gets out. Plus, we still have to deal with Grandma Carmichael and Ron's Aunt Alma, and we don't think either one of them are going to be to accepting of this, especially considering our differing religions."

Nana smiled. "So that's why you were nervous on the phone the other day. You were scared I'd be offended you didn't tell me sooner, right?"

Kim gulped a little. "Uh huh. We just want to make sure that everyone on both sides hears it from us and not the media."

Her grandmother nodded, and reached across the table to placed her hands on Kim's right and Ron's left before bring the two together. "I want you two to listen to me. This is the same thing I told James and Anne when they told me about their engagement. The only ones whose opinion on this matters at all are the two of you. No one else has any right to voice an opinion. I, for one, am happy for you, and I'll bet that all your parents feel the same way. Any family member who doesn't celebrate this isn't really acting like a family should. Now I don't know this Aunt Alma of yours, Ronald, but I can just about guarantee that despite all the commotion that Dorothy Carmichael tries to stir up, she's gonna be happy for you as well. I don't know if you know this, but she put up quite a fuss when James and Anne decided to take this path. Despite that, she was all smiles on their wedding day. And I'm sure she'll be a proud grandmother just like me when you two walk down the aisle."

"Thanks, Nana," Kim replied as she walked around the table to hug her grandmother. "Just remember: you _have_ to be here for it."

Ron nodded. "Definitely. It won't be the same if you're not there, Mrs. Possible."

Nana grinned warmly at them. "If the Lord still has me on this Earth, not even another alien attack could keep me away. You just make sure you do this thing proper. I don't want to be a great-grandmother before then."

Kim smiled. "Don't worry, you won't be. At least, you won't be if we have anything to say about it."

The rest of the day was spent visiting or helping out around the house and the ranch. Nana at first objected to the sleeping arrangements Uncle Slim had set up. She wasn't exactly fond of Ron and her granddaughter sharing a bed, even with the engagement ring thrown into the picture. However, with a little prodding from her eldest son, she soon consented that Kim and Ron were going about this the right way. However, her warning to not do anything beyond sleeping in each other's arms carried a lot more to it. Joss started to say something about how the two had probably already done a lot more than that, but a pair of quick and pointed looks, one from her father and one from her cousin, had her clamping her mouth shut pretty quick. If Nana wanted to believe that they hadn't done anything but cuddled, they weren't about to break that view.

Actually, it was Joss's reaction to the announcement that surprised Kim the most. Despite her earlier advances on Ron, Kim's cousin took the news of the engagement rather well, and spent most of the day hanging around Kim so she could grill her for all sort of answers and details on how Ron had popped the question and what the two of them had planned so far for the wedding. Kim almost felt like it was Joss's obsession with her missions all over again, but for a reason she couldn't explain she was enjoying the barrage of questions this time around. In fact, she found herself feeling almost the same way she had when Ron had first asked, as if it were something brand new. As a result, practically every one of Kim's answers was accompanied by at least two or three giggles, a fact that Joss didn't seem to mind in the least.

Ron spent most of the morning hanging around with Slim and the ranch hands, getting the full working-ranch experience. He managed to overcome his fear of robot horses enough to ride one and assist with the herding, and even tried his hand at roping a few cattle, and even though he had little to no success, his spirits stayed high merely because their first family reveal had gone so well. Around 11:00, he joined Nana Possible in the kitchen, and by lunchtime the smells of their fine handiwork were drifting all over the property, causing so many mouths to water that Slim had to cut the morning work short just so he himself could get ahead of the rush for the tantalizing food.

After lunch, Nana, Joss, and Kim got in the Sloth and headed into town while Slim and the hands went back to work. Ron originally debated joining the girls, but a quick whisper from Kim about what they were going to do pretty much squashed that idea in its infancy. He cared a great deal about his fiancée and her grandmother, but watching another "war of the dresses" was not high on his list of enjoyable things to see. And this particular excursion was sure to be about ten times worse with Joss, who was oftentimes even more of a tomboy than her cousin, along for the ride. As they drove off, Ron offered up a silent prayer for strength to be granted to whatever poor shopkeeper was going to have to play peacemaker between Zim Possible and her granddaughters.

So the young man spent the afternoon rereading _Brave New World_ and _1984_. The second novel kept getting to him in an ironic manner, though he couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because the description of the person on the Big Brother posters kept reminding him of Agent Ivan Gerhardt. Once or twice Ron had to stop himself before he started to rip a page out, as memories of what the ex-Global Justice agent had tried to do to Team Possible still made his blood boil in a very bad way. He found himself tempted to call up Dr. Director and ask if the man's court martial had happened yet, but memories of the discussion he and Kim had had with the G.J. leader after the Dementor fight left Ron wondering if he'd even get any straight answers out of her if he were to make the query. He finally decided to push it out of his mind. As far as he was concerned, Gerhardt was still safely locked up in the French branch of the Global Justice prison system, in the highest security wing, and could no longer hurt them.

* * *

Gemini looked out over his agents at their stations, scanning for one in particular. When he found him, he walked over to him with a look that was half-way between a smile and a frown.

"How goes the operation, Agent Alpha?"

Gerhardt smiled evilly. "The agents report that Stage One of the infiltration is complete. They wish to proceed to Stage Two."

Gemini smiled. "Tell them to proceed as they see fit. Also, inform them that they no longer need to request permission to proceed to the next stage of the mission. However, they are to keep us informed of their progress like this from here on in."

Gerhardt's evil grin became wider. "When do we strike?"

Gemini placed his human hand on the man's shoulders. "Patience, Agent Alpha. The WEE does not move until we are sure we can crush our enemies in one felled swoop. Just send the communiqué, and then sit back and observe. I assure you it is much more fulfilling to watch your claws close around your prey when they have no idea it is happening."

"Yes, sir," Gerhardt replied as he sent the instructions.

**…**  
**…**

A few seconds later, two computers on the G.V.U. campus lit up as they received mail. The owners both looked at the message—one with glee, the other with an unexpected apprehension. However, both nodded as they read the objectives for the next stage of their missions.

* * *

Sunday morning dawned quite messy, as a thunderstorm raged violently over the small town of Shepherd, Montana, turning the roads into a muddy and treacherous mess. However, a little rain didn't stop Nana's insistence that they all attend church. Surprisingly, her biggest supporter on the matter was Ron. Kim wondered for a second if he might be just trying to garner favor, but a quick look in his eyes sent that notion flying off into the farthest reaches of space at high speed. Ron wasn't the type to pull something like that, and the smile on his face was all his fiancée needed to confirm that fact.

At least halfway consenting to her grandmother's wishes, Kim donned the Sunday dress the older woman had picked out for her the day before. As she stood back from the mirror, Kim had to admit that, although she had protested to the thing at first, the outfit didn't look to bad on her. The fact that this one didn't have the ruffles that normally existed all over the dresses Nana normally bought or made for her probably helped the matter, but still Kim found herself unexpectedly liking the way she looked in this particular outfit. It wasn't too loose or too snug, but it still showed off her form rather well. As she came out wearing it, she noticed the appreciative smile on her grandmother's face.

As the five of them sat through the service, though, her mind drifted to other things. She still paid attention to what was being said, but her thoughts kept going back to how well Nana had taken the news of her and Ron's engagement. Although her grandmother had never expressed an opinion on Ron's religious beliefs, Kim knew the thoughts had to have been circling around the old woman's head, particularly when Kim and Ron had started dating. Kim found herself halfway wishing she could talk to her mother first, but she knew that wasn't possible. As the preacher's sermon reached its end, she made a decision to talk to her grandmother privately that afternoon before they headed back to the school.

When they got back to the ranch from lunch afterwards, however, Nana went straight to her room for a nap. Even though Kim still wanted to talk to her as well, she found herself needing to talk to someone about this right now, and as he was the only other adult on the property Kim felt comfortable with, Uncle Slim won the lottery. After changing into more comfortable clothes, she found him leaning on the fence around the main corral, watching Joss teach Ron how to rope. She watched them herself for a few minutes, just to assuage the tiny amount of doubt about the previous day's conversation she still harbored, and to see whether or not the talk had made the desired impression. Watching the lesson however, Kim couldn't help but grin as she noticed Joss's repeated glances over to where one of the hands was working on a fence. If she didn't know better, she'd suspect that Joss had already been flirting with this guy for quite some time. Completely satisfied, Kim approached her uncle.

"Hey, Uncle Slim? Can we talk for a moment?" she asked as casually as she could.

"Sure thing, Kimmie. What's on yer mind?"

She leaned with her back against the fence. "What do you think of Ron?"

Slim scratched his head. "Kimmie, I may be pretty smart when it comes to the cuttin'-edge tech, but I'm not sure I get what exactly yer askin' me."

Kim sighed. "I mean, what do you think of him being from a family of Reform Jews?"

Her uncle smiled. "Yer worried what Ma thinks, aren't you?"

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her uncle's ability to see right through her. "Yeah. I mean, I know what she told us yesterday, but I also know she's a firm believer in her Christian faith. Plus, I've never heard her voice any opinion one way or the other on what Ron believes."

Slim put his hand comfortingly on his niece's shoulder. "And yeh won't, neither. Ma has her beliefs, true, but she ain't one of these folks that go around sayin', 'Believe my way or burn in Hell.' She respects all religions that follow the Almighty in one way or another. She may not agree with 'em, but she ain't gonna put 'em down, neither."

Kim smiled. "So you're saying she's perfectly fine with the fact that I didn't find a quote, 'good Christian boy'?"

Her uncle shook his head. "Nope. She jest wants yeh to be happy, same as me, same as yer parents. To tell the truth, I think the only way she'd object to the two of yeh is if she found out yeh were gettin' married because yeh had to. Otherwise, she'll be nothing but smiles when she sees yeh in that dress and yer intended in his suit."

"Thanks, Uncle Slim."

He smiled, and ruffled her hair a bit. "Anytime, darlin'." Turning back towards the corral, he pointed with a smile and quipped, "So, what do yeh think of Ron's ropin' skills?"

Kim looked back into the corral, and couldn't help but laugh as Ron's twirling of the lasso only succeeded in causing it to tie him up from head to toe.

"I think he's still got a way to go," she said with a giggle as Joss tried unsuccessfully to untie the knots.

**…**  
**…**

Later, after her grandmother woke up, Kim found her uncle's advice completely sound when Nana expressed the exact views that Slim had said she would.

"As far as I'm concerned, Kimberly Anne, you both believe in God above, and that works just fine for me. And even if it didn't, it's like I said: the only views on this matter that make any difference are yours and Ron's. He obviously makes you happy, so he's just fine in my book."

"Thanks, Nana," Kim said as she gave her grandmother a hug.

As they said their goodbyes that afternoon around 2:00, Kim saw her grandmother whisper something in Ron's ear. From the surprised look on her fiancé's face, Kim could only guess what Nana told him, but the smile and the wink that the old woman sent in her direction immediately afterwards assured her it was nothing bad. Ron climbed in the driver's seat, and Kim settled herself in the passenger's seat. As they were getting ready to leave, however, Joss came running out of the house carrying a small package.

"Hey, Kim? Ah thought you might want this," she said as she handed her cousin the box.

Kim opened it, and was surprised to see a framed picture of her and Ron from their first trip to the Lazy C. "Joss, when did you…"

The young woman smiled. "Ah took that right after we beat Drakken and Shego. Ah was keepin' it in the scrapbook Ah got of all yer missions, but Ah figured you might want it more. 'Specially since it's a pretty good pose of you two. Even if yeh are actin' like idiots in it."

Kim had to admit her cousin was right. The picture showed them from the front as they goofed off a little bit shortly after sending Shego and Drakken running. Ron was giving Kim a piggy-back ride while she waved the cowboy hat she'd borrowed from her uncle in the air like she was riding a bronco. The young man was glancing over his right shoulder at her, the biggest and goofiest of grins plastered across his face. Kim meanwhile was grinning like an idiot, and appeared to be having the time of her life. Surprisingly, neither one of them seemed to notice the camera in front to them. If you judged solely from the picture, you'd have thought they were already deep into a dating relationship. Looking at the picture, Kim found herself wondering just how long Ron had been in love with her.

"Thanks, Joss," Kim said as she hugged her cousin. "This means a lot."

As they pulled out, Rufus once again scampered over to Kim's lap, curled into a ball, and fell asleep. Kim smiled as she watched him snooze.

"Seems like Rufus has found a new sleeping buddy," Ron complained good-naturedly.

Kim grinned mischievously. "Speaking of sleeping buddy, are you gonna be able to fall asleep tonight without me curled up next to you?"

Ron returned the grin. "Are you? I know for a fact your pillow isn't as firm as my chest."

Kim smiled. "Maybe. But you said some pretty interesting things in your sleep these past two nights."

Ron gulped a little. "L…like…like what?"

Kim cocked her head at the ceiling of the vehicle with a pleased little smile on her face. "Oh, you were just mentioning certain things that we were doing to each other in your dreams."

Ron's breathing immediately got a little wheezy. "Umm…that is…uhh…I…"

Kim leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. "And by the way, I didn't hear a single thing I'd object to doing."

Ron blushed right to the roots of his hair. "KP, I…"

Kim giggled. "Need me to drive, Ronnie?"

Ron shook his head, although Kim noticed with a grin he was nervously sweating a little, as well as shifting in his seat quite a bit. She smiled as she turned to look out at the passing scenery. If his talk during the previous two nights and his actions now were any indication, his mind was quickly traveling down the same path she'd found her own thoughts going down quite frequently lately. Even though they'd assured her grandmother they were going to wait, the idea was starting to sound more and more appealing to Kim's mind.

* * *

Anne Possible glanced out the window as she washed the plates and silverware from the dinner her family had just shared with the Stoppables. Back when they'd first moved in with Ron's family, she and Ron's mother had worked out a system that whichever family didn't fix dinner that night would do the dishes. Since Gene had fixed the meal, it was the Possible family's turn to clean up, and tonight happened to be Anne's turn in the rotation. As she washed the glasses, she couldn't help but wonder about Kim and Ron's trip to see Nana Possible and Slim. She hoped it had gone well, and she suspected it had, especially considering the blessing she and James had received when they gave Zim the same news nearly twenty-one years earlier. His mother had been completely gracious about the entire thing, something Anne suspected was due to how well she and the older woman had gotten to know each other before the engagement ever happened.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for when they told Anne's parents the news a few days after that. Amos Carmichael had been very glad to hear one of his daughters had found someone to settle down with, but Dorothy Carmichael had been anything but pleased with Anne's choice of who to marry. In her mother's view, anyone who didn't strictly and faithfully follow the beliefs of Southern Baptist was doomed because they followed a faith that was false in the old woman's eyes. Remembering the fit her mother had pitched caused Anne's head to hurt, and that had been the reaction when James Possible was only a Baptist. However, that terror had seemed like a neighborhood welcoming committee fruit basket compared to the ruckus the Carmichael matron had raised when Anne's twin sister Laura decided to marry Philip Quinn, a Catholic. Sadly enough, the only one of Dorothy Carmichael's kids to escape her rants about "proper marriage material" had been Anne's older brother Zachary, whom everyone affectionately called "Z", and that was because he had been lucky enough to fall for a woman who was Southern Baptist like them. When she found out that her granddaughter had decided to marry Ronald Stoppable, a young man's whose faith was Reform Jewish, there was no telling how big a terror Anne's mother was going to cause. Anne could only hope that the old woman was going to take Kim's feelings and happiness into account before she went on one of her "hellfire and brimstone" tirades.

At that moment, she made a decision. She knew that Kim and Ron had expressed a desire to confront the old woman on their own, but this was something Anne could not just sit idly by and watch unfold, not when she might be able to do something to prevent it. Or at the very least she could make it a little easier to deal with. Drying her hands, she grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and walked out to sit on the glider on the Stoppables' back porch. Quickly dialing a number, she waited with bated breath as the rings began sounding off. Thankfully, she heard her sister pick up on the other end.

"Laura, it's Annabelle…Yes, I'm fine. And you?…Good, good. Listen, I have a question for you. Do you have any plans set up for the last week of October?…No?…Well, then we need to set-up a family get together at Mom and Dad's house…Well, for one, my family and Z's family both want to see yours…The other reason? Laura, I can't just sit back and watch this happen. I'm not going to let Kim go up against Mom alone…I know, but Kim's my daughter, and she's happy with Ron. And I'm not going to let Mom spoil it for her…No, I haven't told Kim about this yet. I kind of wanted to make sure I could round up the support before I offered it. Plus, Kim still doesn't know I already let it slip to you and Z about her engagement…Okay, okay, that I practically squealed when I told you the day after it happened. But seriously, do you think we can do it?…Great. Just let me know when you and Philip can make it down to Mississippi, and me and Z will set up our ends…Because, James and I can get away whenever we need to, and the same thing applies to Z and June. Our schedules are lot more flexible than yours and Philip's are…Thanks, Laura. Talk to you soon."

Anne shut off her phone, and turned to see James standing there, a smile on his face.

"So when's the war party getting together?"

Anne smiled at her husband. "It sounds like either the last weekend in October or the weekend right before that. And before you say anything, I'm going down there whether they can make it or not. I'm not about to let Kim face my mother alone."

Even if he had been going to object, the fiery look in his wife's eyes would have convinced James Possible one hundred percent.

"Then we'll go. Besides, I haven't sat down and chatted with Amos over a drink in quite a while."

Anne grinned. "Just as long as you two don't go off discussing propulsion systems again. I don't want to have to split up another 'jet versus rocket' discussion again."

"Speaking of discussions," James said with a sly grin, "when was the last time you and I had a bedroom discussion? Gene and Jean just left to take Hana to that new kid's movie, and Jim and Tim won't be back from the mall for another few hours."

Anne walked up and put her arms around her husband's neck. "Why, Dr. Possible, I do believe you are trying to seduce me."

James's grin grew wider as he picked her up in his arms like a groom carrying his bride. "Maybe I am, Dr. Possible. Any objections?"

"Not really," she said with a kiss to his neck as he carried her to their room and shut the door.

* * *

Ron groaned when he woke up Monday morning and stretched in his bed. Two nights spent on the soft, feather-stuffed Queen-size mattress in Slim Possible's guestroom with Kim lying in his arms had spoiled him greatly. But now they were both back on the rock-hard twin XL sized mattresses of their dorm rooms. When they had arrived back on the G.V.U. campus late the previous night, Kim had offered to let him come into her room since his was still a mess from the mysterious raiders. However, he had declined on the grounds that Monique was already asleep, and he didn't feel right not asking her. Although she'd looked a little disappointed, Kim had nodded and agreed with him that they shouldn't abuse their friend's trust like that. However, she did allow him to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight before he left.

Now though, as he began to work the kinks out of his limbs, he was beginning to regret his decision. True, Kim's mattress was just as hard as his was, but the hardness of the sleeping arrangements rarely mattered to him when he could spend the night in her arms. They'd proven this on several occasions on missions, and he felt sure that being able to go to sleep with her scent deliciously invading his senses would negate any ill effects these "rocks" would impose. As he sat up, he was surprised to find Rufus was not in the improvised nest he'd made for him the night before out of a few shirts. It was then he heard the knocking of a tiny paw on his door. Opening it, he was surprised to learn the knocking was coming from the main door to the Unit. Opening that, he found his little buddy looking somewhat fatter yet very satisfied.

"Decided to take Max up on his offer of Swiss, huh?" Ron said as he scooped up the mole rat.

The mole rat smiled. "Hrk. Uh huh. Cheese!"

Ron shook his head. "Well, I think this proves you can't get back under the door if you stuff yourself. And how 'bout leaving a note next time, okay?"

"Hrk. Okay."

Ron deposited the little guy in the shirt nest, where he promptly curled up and fell asleep. Smiling, Ron grabbed a towel and some fresh boxers and headed into the bathroom for his shower. Several minutes later, he emerged feeling great. Realizing he still had some time before he was supposed to pick up Kim from her Unit, Ron set about cleaning up some of the mess that had been left by the ones who had raided his room. The clothes were returned to the closet or their assigned drawers, the papers were picked up, and Rufus's cage was returned to its proper place on top of the computer desk. As he picked up the cedar shavings that had spilled out of the pet container, Ron couldn't help but laugh to himself. The cage was mainly used for when Rufus wasn't feeling well and needed to be relatively undisturbed. Most of the time, Ron's mole rat buddy was either curled up in the bed next to his owner or nestled in a clothes nest as he was now. Ron lightly scooped the little guy up and gently placed him in the customary pocket where the little guy curled up into a ball and resumed his slumber.

The young man then headed up to the fourth floor, where he found Kim exiting her Unit just as he arrived. She smiled, and greeted him with their customary "good morning" kiss, a light one they had shared practically every morning since they'd started dating. The only time it hadn't been part of their routine was during that period where Kim had lost her memory, but otherwise it was how they always greeted each other. The two of them then headed out into the brisk morning air and over to Sentinel Station for breakfast, walking hand in hand the entire way.

As they left, a pair of dark brown eyes watched them go, and entered their departure time in the PDA he was carrying with him. So far, he'd tailed them to all their classes, inputting the data from the schedules as he went. Now that he had their class agendas down, it was time to start gathering intel on their personal schedules as well. He grabbed his things and followed them at a relatively safe distance, eyeing them with a smug look on his face. If they would have looked back, all they would have seen would have been what appeared to be another student going about his business.

**…**  
**…**

The young woman looked over the instructions on her computer monitor one more time, just to be sure she hadn't missed anything. The mission parameters were simple and finite, a clear-cut blueprint of how she was to proceed with the next stage of the operation. She had jumped at the chance to advance in the WEE, and Gemini had picked her out of all the other female candidates. Success would mean that she would be the first woman in the Worldwide Evil Empire's history to gain a rank that warranted one of the coveted Greek letters that denoted the agency's top twenty-four operatives. And since Gemini was well known for getting rid of his agents for failure, advancement from that point forward would be a simple task of waiting.

However, recent developments in Stage One had caused her focus to blur a bit. It had been a simple matter to infiltrate Team Possible's chosen university, but the results of tailing the two young people had been rather unexpected. In particular, she was impressed with Kim and Ron's level-headedness about the amount of popularity the two of them were receiving. Even more impressive was how down-to-earth the two appeared to be, as well as how sociable they were towards people they had only just met. That more than anything had the young woman questioning what she'd gotten herself involved in, as well as taking a serious look at the path she'd chosen to follow in her life. However, thoughts like that were dangerous, especially considering Gemini's penchant for asking his subordinates to "take a seat" for their failures.

Shaking her head for focus, she grabbed her things and her long dark jacket and headed out into the morning air. However, she couldn't get the warm smiles of a certain pair of young people out of her head.

* * *

Sheila Godfrey couldn't help but feel a little resentment at the guy currently helping her through her present situation. After all, this wouldn't have been occurring without him. Forget that he was being nice enough to hold back her hair while she once again dealt with the morning sickness. If not for him, she wouldn't have been dealing with the nausea and getting sick for going on seven weeks now. Okay, so maybe she shouldn't have had those Nacos and chimaritos at 1:00 AM, but could she really help that her cravings were so ill-timed? And besides that, didn't most of the baby books say the morning sickness was supposed to ease up by the twelfth or thirteenth week? And if so, why was she still feeling the effects here in her fifteenth week?

After what seemed like forever, her insides finally calmed down, and she flushed the toilet. Feeling drained from this particular morning's ordeal, she lowered the lid and sat down on it. Her boyfriend grabbed a couple of damp washcloths and began lovingly cleaning her up, smiling gently at her the entire time. As he did this, she couldn't help but study the features she was beginning to love more and more. And it wasn't just the physical features either. Andy Lipsky had other characteristics she was finding she liked more and more. She found herself particularly touched by the amount of care he'd been giving her the last three months, particularly the past month and a half or so they'd been living with her brothers in Go Tower.

So far, she'd gotten serious yearnings for several things. Items like Tex-Mex from the Bueno Nacho, the distinctly burnt-tasting pizza from J.P. Bearymore's topped with anchovies and pineapple, copious amounts of grilled cheese with sweet relish mixed in, mangos and papayas, and even Pop Pop Porter's Mini Corndogs—the last of these had always grossed her out prior to her getting pregnant, but ever since then she had been unable to get enough of the flash-frozen sausages covered in ridiculous amounts of butter-flavored batter. And up to this point, Andy had always insisted on being the one to go and get the items, not to mention that he went after them at all hours of the day and night.

In fact, the only thing she'd been craving for that he hadn't had to go out to get was Ken & Larry's Fudge Surprise ice cream, something he'd made sure they were stocked up on at all times from the moment they moved into Go Tower. How he'd managed to predict the exact flavor she would be craving the most while carrying their twins was something of a puzzle to her. She suspected that may have been what Xander whispered to him just before the young man who was the future version of one of the two kids she now carried and the future daughter of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable returned to their own time, but Sheila had never brought it up to her boyfriend. Whatever the reason for his foresight, she wasn't about to complain, especially since having the ice-cold treat stocked at all times meant more cuddling time for the two of them.

Now, as he gently wiped her face with the soft damp cloths, she began to wonder something. After a few minutes of debating with her doubts, she decided she wanted to know. True, asking about his feelings while he was cleaning up the results of her morning sickness might not be the best of ideas or the most romantic time, but dang it she wanted to know.

"Andy, what do you think of me?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Andy replied, "I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

She looked at the floor. "And what if I wasn't pregnant with your children? What would you think of me then?"

She didn't see his warm smile. "You'd still be the prettiest female on the planet."

She sighed. "You're just saying that."

Andy put the washcloths in the sink and gently tilted her head up with a loving hand on her cheek. "No, Sheila, I'm not. I really do think that. You're beautiful and pretty and gorgeous and completely amazing."

She couldn't help the tears that stung her eyes as she knocked his hand away. "Quit saying that!" she all but yelled.

For some reason, all her doubts about what they had between them had come bubbling to the surface, and now the gate was open with no way to close it.

"I know you hate that we got pregnant! And I know you blame me for the two of us being stuck living here with my brothers!" The tears started flowing freely as the torrent continued. "Most of all, I know you wish we hadn't gone through the personality switch. You'd rather be off at one of the lairs building some new doomsday device, or devising some way to defeat Kim Possible. And I know you hate that I never could take out one simple cheerleader. Hell, you even replaced me with others when you got the chance."

Andy was at a loss for how to respond, so he decided to let it out. "Sheila, that's not true! Okay, maybe I did replace you a few times…"

"See!" she screamed as she stormed out into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, curling into a ball.

"Wait, let me finish!" he called as he followed her and lay down next to her, pulling her as close as she would allow. "Yes, I did that, but I wasn't thinking when I did. If I could do it over, I would never have replaced you. I'm very lucky you chose to work for me…no, wait…that you chose to work _with_ me. You have so much to offer anyone, and you chose to offer it to me, even though I was probably the biggest bumbler in the world of villainy. And the only times I ever felt like I was halfway succeeding was when you said that it might be working."

She sighed through her continuing tears. "But I never did anything but put you down."

"It made me want to be better, to impress you. The more plans we had go south, the more I wanted to make you proud to say you worked with me. As time went on, I wanted less to rule the world myself and more to be able to control it so I could give it to you."

She looked up at him for the first time since she'd knocked his touch off her cheek. "What are you saying, Andy?"

He suddenly looked very nervous. "Nnnngg…that is…um…I…nnnngg…I love you."

If she'd been standing, someone could have knocked her over by breathing lightly on her. "You…you love me?"

He looked her up and down a few times. "Well…that is…umm…yes…yes, I do. I love you, Sheila Godfrey."

She looked at him, and couldn't stop the smile on her face, or prevent herself from snuggling up as close to that blue skin as she could get. "How much?"

Andy stared into her beautiful green eyes. Despite his misgivings, the look on her face bolstered his confidence a hundred fold. "Enough to do a couple of things," he replied with a smile.

"Like what?"

He gave her a loving kiss that made her insides melt. "That. And this."

He got up and walked over to her dresser, pulling open the drawer she'd cleaned her own stuff out of and designated as his. He dug into the back, and pulled something out, something he kept hidden behind his back as he sat back down on the bed.

"Andy, what's going on?" she asked as she sat up.

He took a deep breath. "I have something I'd like to give you."

Sheila gasped as a single guess at what he was up to shot through the rest of the ideas floating around her mind, though she did her best to push it back. "Andy?" she said nervously.

Smiling hopefully, he pulled a small black box from behind him and set it in her open palm. He turned it so the hinge was facing away from her and opened it. Sheila gasped in surprise when she saw a beautiful looking pale-green, teardrop-shaped stone set inside a circle of pure onyx. However, despite her surprise, she felt a twinge of disappointment she hadn't expected.

"Andy, it's a beautiful ring. Thank you."

She looked at him, and noticed that he seemed even more nervous than he had when he'd presented the box to her. It occurred to her as odd that he should be this nervous about giving her a simple piece of jewelry, even a ring with as beautiful a setting as this one. After all, it wasn't like he was proposing to her.

"Umm, Sheila?" he said with a shaky voice. "This kind of…nnnngg…it kind of comes with a question."

She was slightly confused. "And what question would that be? It's not like this is a diamond ring."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Umm…actually…it is."

She laughed nervously. "Andy, what are you talking about? Diamonds aren't green."

He scooted nervously towards her. "Actually, some of them…nnnngg…some of them are. It has something to do with getting hit by irradiation from alpha particles. The particles cause impurities in the lattice growth, and you get the green color like this one has."

"So that means this…this is…" She tried valiantly to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "Are you…are you asking me to…to…"

"Y-y-yes. Yes, I am. Although I understand completely if you don't want to."

The silence that followed permeated the whole room. Sheila found herself wishing she at least had a clock with an audible ticking to break up the uncomfortable quiet. But sadly, all the timepieces in the room were digital. Even her personal computer, which they'd brought from her room when they moved from the Caribbean Island to her quarters here at Go Tower, was unmercifully in sleep mode and completely silent. She looked from the ring, to her boyfriend, back to the ring, and back to her boyfriend. As much as being pregnant by Andy Lipsky scared her, the idea of being married to him terrified her even more.

It wasn't that she didn't want to; oh no. Of course she wanted both things, but the reality of getting both of the two desires she'd held for so long in the most secret parts of her heart frightened her in ways she couldn't even begin to explain. Every day, Sheila woke up expecting to find her heart shattered and broken. She feared she would discover that what had happened between her and her blue-skinned lover had been nothing more than a wonderful dream. And yet every morning she still woke wrapped in his loving arms, the heartbreak she feared still failing to show and make its presence known.

Andy must have taken her failure to reply to be an answer in the negative, because he hung his head and slowly reached for the ring. "Sheila, I'm sorry. I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for. Just forget I asked."

However, she quickly closed her hands around the box, preventing him from taking it back, and looked at him with a mixture of teasing, wondering, and hurt. "Is that really what you want me to do, Andy? Forget about it?"

His shoulders sagged, and he turned so that he was facing off the bed. "Sheila, I…"

She gently forced herself up under his arm, pulling it around her neck and shoulders like a warm scarf. She also kept holding onto the ring box both gently and for dear life. "What do you really want?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly," she said with a small smile.

He looked at her nervously. "Umm…I…I want…I want you…all of you. To be with you. And…and not just as your caretaker. I want every part of you. I want your smiles, your laughs, your tears, everything. I want to be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see before you fall asleep at night. I want to be the one who can make you as happy as you deserve to be, who causes every single one of the smiles you have for the rest of your life. I want to be the one you give your most tender love to, and the one who feels the full fury of your wrath if I should ever do anything to hurt you. And I want to be the one holding your hand when one or both of us breathes our last. I want you, everything about you."

Sheila opened her hand and looked nervously at the still open ring box and the ring inside. "That's a tall order, Dr. D."

He blinked in surprise. "Dr. D.?"

She couldn't speak for a few seconds. "Sorry…Umm…old habits and all that. But about this…anything else you want?"

Andy smiled softly. "Actually, I would like to be able to kiss you any time I want without needing a reason to do it."

She took a deep breath and kissed him full on the mouth, enticing his tongue into an intricate dance with her own. It didn't take much, and soon his had taken the lead, massaging hers with a gentle firmness that told Sheila everything she needed to know about how he felt towards her. As a result, she had her answer less than half a second into the action. As they came up for air, she handed him the box with a smile.

"Well then, put it on me."

He smiled and did just that before pulling her into another kiss that soon became something they both enjoyed a whole lot more.

* * *

Ron sighed as he sat through his Introduction to Cooking class. For some reason, despite his love of the kitchen and what he could do within its confines, he was finding it hard to concentrate on Chef Angelo's lecture this morning. The diminutive Italian was currently going over the best spices and condiments that could be safely and tastefully used to flavor various fruits and vegetables, as well as discussing the various disasters and remedies if a chef were to overdo using any of them by even a pinch. If this had been any other class, Ron would have zoned out ages ago, but his fascination with the Culinary Arts and what could be produced by utilizing them to their fullest kept his head at least partway on the teacher's discussion.

Unfortunately, the other part of his brain kept going back to focus on what Monkey Fist's simian students wanted that he always had with him. That morning at breakfast with Kim, he'd emptied everything out of his pockets, and the two of them had gone over every item to try and deduce what usefulness it might hold for a bunch of ninja monkeys. The only thing they'd even been able to come up with a halfway explanation for had been Ron's wallet, which contained a lot of his personal info, but that wasn't something the simian warriors were likely to invade his parents' home to look for. Kim had even suggested her engagement ring, and that maybe it held some sort of ancient mystical element to it. However, Ron assured her that the ring hadn't even existed until he'd had the jeweler make it. He'd further pointed out that if the monkeys had been after that they probably would have raided Kim and Monique's Unit instead of the rooms belonging to him and Felix. Kim had nodded her agreement at that, and the two had gone back to studying the contents of Ron's pockets.

Chef Angelo's lecture at that point reached the addition of different cheeses as a flavor to the fruits, and Rufus popped out of the pocket and scampered up Ron's clothes to the counter where he could listen more closely about his favorite subject. Ron scratched the back of the mole rat's neck lazily as he listened to the teacher and took occasional notes, still trying to figure out what object the monkeys could possibly be after. Whatever it was, Wade was right—they needed to figure this out in a hurry so they could stop whatever plan was in the works. More importantly though, figuring out what the monkeys wanted might lead them to an answer as to who was behind this and commanding the simian warriors, which would allow Team Possible to better plan their next move. Right now, they were running blind on this sitch. As such, all they could do was simply sit and wait, a strategy none of them, not even Ron, was particularly fond of. Unfortunately, it was the only visible course of action for the foreseeable future, so they had no choice but to follow the path.

As the class let out, Ron gathered up his books and headed out, still puzzling over the problem. Maybe it was as Joss had said, and the possession of Ron's that the monkeys coveted was something he never considered as important, something he had with him without thinking about it being in his possession. He reached inside his shirt for a small locket that matched the silver "K+R" one he'd given Kim shortly after the Middleton High Senior Prom. Opening it up, he scanned it for any sort of mystical writings or strange markings, but other than the letters he'd gotten engraved on the outside, it was still as smooth and scratch-free as the day he'd bought the matching pair of them. Though very special to him and Kim, there was definitely nothing mystical about the simple necklaces. Putting it back inside his shirt, he quickly trotted towards the benches in front of the building where Kim's Philosophy class was.

She was sitting there waiting for him with a smile on her face, and they kissed each other lightly as they now often did when they greeted each other. As they headed off hand in hand towards their Biology class, both Kim and Ron had contented looks on their faces. For the moment, the question of what the monkey ninjas were wanting so badly was temporarily put out of their minds.

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are greatly welcome and appreciated. I am trying to respond to all of them from this point forward, though if I missed any I do apologize. The reviews I get, whether good or bad, are one of the main reasons I continue to write. So keep 'em coming. :)

I'd also like to send out another couple of "thank you"s to some loyal readers. To **Omnifighter1** and **Katsumara**, I greatly appreciate the recent input you've posted, as well as the thoughtful discussions you've put up.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is up and running!

The villains make new plans, and things could look bad for Team Possible in the future.

Joss's addition to Team Possible proves useful when an unexpected sitch sidelines Kim.

A group who wishes harm towards Kim and Ron make their plans and set things in motion.

Andy Lipsky calls in a favor from someone who didn't expect to be asked.

An ally makes a startling discovery.

And Kim and Ron discuss a major step in their relationship before facing a hurdle that might just make the point useless!

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

She was sitting there waiting for him with a smile on her face, and they kissed each other lightly as they now often did when they greeted each other. As they headed off hand in hand towards their Biology class, both Kim and Ron had contented looks on their faces. For the moment, the question of what the monkey ninjas were wanting so badly was temporarily put out of their minds.

* * *

D.N. Amy and Bates were beginning to grow impatient. Twice now the monkey ninjas had failed in their retrieval of key components needed for the operation to be a success. To make matters worse for the uneasy partners, D.N. Amy's creatures were having a less than stellar track record in "retrieving" the various ancient texts or scrolls the two humans had decided might be useful. All in all, things were looking a little bleak.

"Your abominations have thus far failed to impress me, milady," Bates huffed.

"You take that back!" D.N. Amy shrieked.

"What? That your creations have become greatly adept at the art of failing?" the short man said with narrowed eyes.

"No!" she yelled. "I'm talking about what you called my babies!"

Bates looked at her incredulously. "You mean to tell me that you are more concerned with the fact that I called them 'abominations' than you are with my reference to them being failures?"

"You're being a big meanie, Bates!" the rogue bio-geneticist yelled.

She picked up a rather large book and tossed it at his head. However, the weight of the text didn't allow her to get much lift on it, and it fell harmlessly to the ground with a sickening thud. The impact caused it to fall open. A couple of the monkeys near it began chattering excitedly.

Bates sneered. "You, madam, are about as useful as soggy crumpet." He turned towards the monkeys. "And just what is so interesting all of a sudden, you pack of flea-bitten failures?"

The monkeys pointed at the book, and D.N. Amy peered at the page it had fallen open to.

"Bates, it appears we may have other options," she said with a sudden happy grin. "At least, we do if I understand this passage correctly."

Bates walked towards her and leaned over to read the book. "Why, milady…I believe you may be right. According to this, it is possible to utilize other sources of energy for the transfer. And if memory serves, there is another such energy source not too far from here. And it might be easier to acquire."

Amy pointed to one part in particular. "But what about this section that talks about 'an alternate vessel must be chosen'? What will we do about that?"

Bates grinned. "If I'm reading this right, we may choose the alternate vessel when the time comes. And I know just who to pick."

* * *

The next two weeks passed with relatively little outside the norm happening for Team Possible. There were no more monkey raids, and in fact it almost appeared as if the simian ninjas had dropped off the face of the Earth. Wade was running constant searches, both global and news reference, but so far nothing had come up. Despite this, Kim and Ron kept their senses on high alert. If their time as world-savers had taught them one thing, it was that sitches often followed the old "calm before the storm" model.

However, there were other things to focus on. For one, there was the addition of Joss to the team. As she was still in junior high and didn't have their reputations yet, she was still unable to accompany them on missions that started during the school day. Fortunately, they picked up several missions during this time that weren't of the urgent variety, meaning they could wait until she got out of her classes to leave. The transport sitch was fixed fairly easily with a little help from Global Justice, who arranged for a transport tube they had near Joss's house to be connected with G.V.U. campus network, allowing the darker-haired girl to arrive on campus within ten minutes of entering on her end. Using this same tube, Kim and Ron were able to zip up to the Lazy C in good time as well—as long as they didn't abuse the privilege, Dr. Director had no problems with them using the tube as much as they wanted.

The first few missions Joss came on were a little rough, mainly because she was used to relying mainly on herself. More than once, Kim or Ron had to pull her back from rashly jumping headfirst into a sitch that would be dangerous to charge into without observing first. However, they learned the first job out that it definitely helped the odds to have another person to take on thugs when they were outnumbered. And surprisingly, Joss was almost as adept at fighting the goons as her cousin was. Her style was a whole lot more scrappy than the fluid martial arts movements Kim employed, but one couldn't argue with the results, particularly when Joss was taking down guys who were easily two and three times her size.

The more seasoned members of the team also couldn't argue with her knowledge of the devices they were so accustomed to, like the grappling hooks and knockout gasses, or her know-how when it came to mechanical devices and security systems. Once or twice, she actually cracked the system before Wade could instruct Kim or Ron on how to disable it, though her methods occasionally involved more of a crippling affect than simple disabling. Joss was definitely rough around the edges, but really it was no different than when Kim and Ron had first started out. Before too long, she had comfortably settled into a niche in the team, and they found themselves very glad they had asked her to join them.

Joss's addition to the team also proved to have another benefit as well. It wasn't long before Kim realized just how serious Dr. Hyde was about what he had told her on the first day of class. It seemed like from the very start he was almost constantly assigning her and her classmates various assignments and papers, and more than once she found herself pushing her limits to just complete the work, to say nothing of putting in her normal effort on it. Not to mention she was also dealing with the new pressures presented by collegiate-level cheerleading, like new routines, longer practices, and the more physical conditioning program Coach Williams was putting them through. With everything going on, Kim was starting to run herself thin, and her fiancé, friends, and cousin were all beginning to take notice of it. However, she kept brushing off their concerns, saying she'd take a break when it became necessary. Even so, everyone was starting to see shades of the second Bebe mission beginning to take hold on the red head.

It finally came to a head on the last week of August, particularly on the afternoon of the 30th. It was a Wednesday, and the moment Kim and Ron returned to Patriot Towers she uncharacteristically dropped her stuff by the door and dropped down on the couch, her head leaning back with a tired sigh. Ron took one look at her and made up his mind. He was about to call Wade to tell the tech genius to cancel all missions that night when one came through. In a testament to the exhaustion she wouldn't admit to, Kim's reaction to the call was anything but the normal perk up; instead she basically had to drag herself to her room to change into her mission gear. By the time she was ready, Ron was already heading out the door. Kim blinked in surprise a few times before chasing after him. She found the young man standing on the grass outside, awaiting Joss's arrival via the transport tube.

"Ron, what's going on here?"

Ron frowned. "What's going on is that you're taking this mission off."

"Ronald Eugene Stoppable, you have no right to tell me when I can and can't go on a mission," she said through gritted teeth, her green eyes flashing angrily.

Ron sighed, hating the sitch he was being forced into. "KP, look at yourself—you're exhausted, and in no condition to go into the field. Plus, you've got that paper for Hyde due tomorrow, and who knows when we'll get back from this thing. You need to stay here and take a break."

"Ron," she started with a tweaked edge to her voice. However, she was cutoff as Joss came around the corner at that exact moment.

"Ron's right, Kim," her cousin said with a look that Kim could swear consisted of regret. "Yer getting' to the point that yer gonna collapse if you don't take a break. Besides, this is jest a jewel heist. Ah'm sure me and Ron can handle it."

"But…" Kim objected again before Ron cut her off with a kiss.

As he pulled back, he smiled. "KP, I promise we'll be extra careful. You just get some rest, okay?" If her love's words hadn't convinced her, the look in his eyes finished the job.

"Alright, but only on one condition. I want to know the minute you get back safely."

"Promise," Ron replied with another kiss.

Joss rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Alright, if you two're done makin' out, we got work to do."

At that moment, a helicopter arrived, and Kim watched with a sigh as her fiancé and cousin boarded the transport and took off into the distance. She watched the top of the tree line where the craft had disappeared from view for several minutes before she turned and headed back into Patriot Towers and up to her Unit. It turned out the paper only took up another hour or two, however, and soon after that Kim became bored. Monique suggested they watch a movie, maybe some chick flick they could never get Ron and Felix to watch, and without anything better to do Kim agreed. However, less than twenty minutes in, she found herself unable to get into the film.

"I'm sorry, Monique," she said after a few more minutes, "but I can't just sit here when I know Ron and Joss are out risking their lives."

Monique smiled. "Not a problem, girl. So then WDYWD?"

Kim sighed. "I don't know. But I do know I don't want to just stay here doing nothing."

Her friend nodded. "Why don't we go hit up the gym, then? Been here almost three weeks and we still haven't used it once."

"Sounds good, I guess," the red head said with a half-smile.

The walk over to Sentinel Station where the student access gym was located was a rather peaceful sojourn. As they walked, Kim couldn't help but notice how calm the campus really was when there weren't students hurrying to class in all directions. It struck her as odd that she hadn't realized this beforehand, but then the realization hit her that maybe this was what everyone was getting at when they told her she needed to slow down a bit and relax. Before they reached the doors to the student union, her half-smile had turned into a full blown grin, and she even found herself laughing a bit at one or two of the jokes Monique made about various things that had happened on campus.

Once inside the workout facility, they exchanged their Guardian Passes for locker keys and changed into their workout clothes. Then after a few minutes of stretching, they picked out a pair of treadmills and started up the programs. At first, Kim tried to utilize the toughest program the machine had to offer, but Monique quickly put a stop to that. At her friend's slightly tweaked expression, the young woman smiled and shook her head a bit.

"Don't even give me that look, girl. Your fiancé gave me explicit instructions that I was to make sure you take serious advantage of this lull and relax a bit.

Kim rolled her eyes a bit but consented, opting instead for a setting of medium difficulty. As their workout progressed, however, she felt more and more relaxed, to the point she even gave up a session with the heavy bag of her own volition. Instead, she joined Monique in a bit of relaxing yoga, thoroughly enjoying the calming stretching of her muscles. And the effects of doing the less strenuous workout added up, resulting in a relaxing session that left Kim feeling more refreshed than any other ever had.

Both girls were so engrossed in their routines they never noticed the young blonde man over in the corner working the dumbbells. Nor did they notice that he had followed them from the moment they left the dorm, or that his cold, dark blue eyes hadn't left them even once, not even when he was changing out his weights for heavier ones.

**…**  
**…**

In the downstairs portion of Sentinel Station, nestled in a corner in the Guardhouse eating area, three students sat around a table discussing some interesting news.

"Are you sure about that information?" Dack said as he took a bite out of his sandwich, a greedy smile spreading across his face.

"Enough that I'm willing to bet everything Sperlucci I own," Rachael replied with a nasty grin.

"But you said he did leave with a red-head," the young man countered. "How do you know it wasn't her?"

Bricin leaned in a bit. "Hey, if that was Possible that he left with, she's dyed her hair a darker shade and shrunk a few inches. Plus, she was wearing a different outfit than that purple thing she's been wearing lately on those missions of hers."

Rachael picked up a couple fries and slipped them into her mouth. "Plus, according to Terri Everett, the two of them had some sort of fight just before they left. And she also swears that Possible came back up to her Unit before leaving a few hours later to come over to the gym here at Sentinel Station with her roommate."

Dack grinned. "So Stoppable and Possible are having problems, huh? And just before the first game of the season, too."

Bricin brushed her red hair back behind her ear. "Plus, she's been slipping a little during practice. I don't think most of the squad has noticed, but her spots and stunts haven't been as crisp this week as they were last week. Particularly her stunts."

Dack took another greedy chomp of his barbecue. "So you think now's the time to strike, Rach?"

The blonde smiled. "Of course. Simple physics—when you strike at a crack in something, it gets bigger. And the more you apply pressure to it, the larger it gets, until it finally causes the thing to break. All we have to do is plant a little doubt in their minds, and then keep at it until they snap. Which I'm willing to bet one of them will, especially with how much strain they're putting on themselves. Then Stoppable's broken heart is ripe for the picking."

"And Possible too," quipped Dack.

"Right, of course. Possible too," Rachael answered quickly.

"So when do we do it?" Bricin asked with a grin.

Rachael flipped her hair confidently. "Well, let's start tomorrow. Possible already told me that Hyde's giving her a tough time, and tomorrow's when she has him. You just make sure Alice does what she's supposed to, Dack."

Dack sat back, a smug look on his face. "Don't worry. I've already got that little freshman trainer eating out of the palm of my hand. She'll do whatever I tell her too."

"Hey, shouldn't we bring Nate up to speed on this as well?" Bricin commented as she took a bite of her salad.

Rachael sighed. "No, he said he's got his own ideas in the works. To be honest, I can't really tell what he's got going on."

* * *

Andy smiled as he dialed the phone number. Surprisingly, just like there was only one Possible family in the Middleton phone book, there was also only one Load family. As he waited for the call to go through, he looked over the piece of paper at the information he'd been able to gather so far. When a woman picked up the phone, he put on his nicest voice.

"Hello, Mrs. Load? May I please speak with Wade for a minute?"

A few minutes later the young man's voice came through the receiver. "Hello, this is Wade."

"Hi, Wade. I need a favor."

"Dr. Drakken?"

"It's Andy now, Wade. Anyways, do you think you can help me out?"

"Depends on what you need."

Andy smiled. "I need a phone call traced so I can locate some people."

Wade appeared to hesitate. "Maybe, but it depends on why you need to locate them."

The blue-skinned man sighed. "Well, it's a couple of people who are important to Sheila."

"Who are they?" The tech genius sounded a little annoyed.

"Nnnngg…well…they're her…ummm…her old roommates from college at Go City University."

"Sorry, Andy, but if you can't tell me the truth on this I can't help you."

Andy sighed. "Fine. They're…they're her parents, alright? We're trying to locate them, and we haven't got much time to do it if we want them involved."

"Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey? But I thought they were dead."

Andy switched the phone to his other ear. "So did we, but according to Hector they're still alive, although they've missed their last couple contacts with him. And their most recent one was over the phone instead of in person like they were doing."

The tech genius sighed. "Well, I might be able to help, but first I want to know what you want them involved in."

"Well, Sheila wants them in our wedding."

The other end was silent for a few moments. Then, "You mean you and Shego are getting married?"

Andy grinned. "Yes. And we actually want you three there as well, and Kim Possible's family as well, if you don't mind. After all, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Even over the phone, Andy could hear the young man's jaw drop. "You want us to attend your wedding?"

"Yes. And actually, Sheila was wondering if Kim would consent to…"

"Don't say it," the young man tried to interject.

"…be her maid of honor," Andy finished anyway.

Wade sounded like he was thinking it over. "Alright, I'll agree to help with finding the Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey, but I can't even begin to promise Kim is going to agree to be part of the wedding."

Andy nodded. "We understand that, but there's always hope. Oh, and have some preliminary information for you about the call and Sheila's parents."

"Fine. First off, start with their names and the specifics of the call, and we'll go from there."

"Okay. Their names are Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey, and the phone call was made on March 6th to the Go City Bueno Nacho, to the head manager's office, at around 6:00 PM."

* * *

It was actually before midnight when Ron and Joss returned. Both appeared relatively unharmed, apart from a very shallow cut that Ron was sporting on his cheek. Kim was rather worried when she first saw it, but a quick clean-up and inspection revealed it to be little more than a graze. According to Joss, the young man had gotten it when one of the thieves they were trying to apprehend had pulled out a knife unexpectedly. However, the wielder had very little obvious training with the weapon, resulting in the wild slashing that resulted in the injury.

Considering the time, Joss quickly hopped the transport tube back home, while Kim pulled Ron into the dorm and up to her Unit. Sensing what might be about to happen and that the two might want some privacy, Rufus hopped out at Ron's room where Felix let him in. Monique, on the other hand, merely smiled as she watched Kim drag her love into the bathroom to clean up. In there, a quick wipe down with some soap and water revealed most of the cut to be simply dried blood. Once that was cleaned up, the injury was barely noticeable other than the redness around it. Then it was into the bedroom, Monique's smile following them the whole way.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," she called as Kim closed the door most of the way after sending a short, good-natured raspberry at her friend.

Ron was a little confused at first until Kim pushed him onto the bed and cuddled up in his arms. Understanding immediately, he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and kissed her forehead.

"Are you sure you're alright, Ronnie?" she said as she snuggled into his chest.

"I'm fine, KP, I promise," he said with a grin. "To tell the truth, Joss and I didn't even notice the cut until we were almost back here and Jack pointed it out. He also said to tell you that his wife had another baby, a girl this time, and that they're naming her Kimberly."

Kim smiled. "Born at the hospital this time, I hope."

Ron nodded. "Yep. Although he said that was almost more of an adventure than you helping his wife through the labor on the helicopter a few years ago."

Kim laughed a bit. "Birthing twin boys in an open air helicopter in the middle of a flood rescue, so not the drama." Then she thought of something. "Ronnie, what would you do if I were to ask you to do that?"

He shrugged. "Help someone give birth in a helicopter? Shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Kim shook her head. "Not that, silly. What would you say if I asked you to make love to me?"

Ron was silent, and for a moment Kim wondered if she hadn't just made a huge mistake in posing the question. She waited patiently for him to respond, nervously counting the seconds that seemed to tick by like hours. Finally, he blew out his breath a bit.

"Honestly, KP, I don't know right now. I mean, I do want you that way, and since I am a guy I'd probably jump at the chance if it came up. But at the same time, I want our first time to be something special, something that we both take away a good memory from. Plus, I know we've talked a lot about waiting until our wedding night, or if we're traveling waiting until we get to our honeymoon destination."

Although she kept herself cuddled up to him as much as possible, Kim turned her head away a bit. "I know that, but what would you do if I decided I didn't want to wait?"

Ron pulled his head back to get a better look at her. "Are you saying you want to right now?"

Kim shook her head. "No. But lately I've been thinking that four years is too long to wait. Not to mention that I'm curious about certain related activities."

"Like what?"

Kim leaned up and whispered in his ear, and when she pulled back his eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. "You'd really have no problem with that?"

Kim smiled seductively. "I don't know. That's my point, Ron. I want to know whether or not I like doing those things to you. And I want to know how you react to them." Her smile widened a little. "Though based on what I'm feeling against my leg, I'm beginning to think you'd like them just fine."

Ron gulped a little, but then his grin matched the deviousness of hers. "And what about you?"

"Me?"

Ron kissed her softly yet passionately. "You really think I'm going to let you have all the fun?" He then whispered in her ear, causing her to blush and breathe heavily at the same time.

She pulled her bottom lip under her teeth. "I think both our minds have been putting some thought into this."

"Evidently so," he replied with a smile.

At that moment, an unexpected yawn escaped from Kim's mouth, and her eyes fluttered shut for a moment. Ron smiled, and slowly picked her up. Then he removed himself from the bed and placed her back on it. However, as he was turning to go, he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. Looking back at her, he saw the sleepy beginnings of a Puppy Dog Pout forming. He smiled and nodded, and instead of exiting the room he turned on her lamp and turned off the overhead light. He then shut the door the rest of the way, and pulled off his shirt before turning back towards her. When he did, he noticed that she had already removed her shirt and capris, and was shaking her head at him. At his confused look, she pointed at his pants.

"Pants off, buster," she said with a sleepy grin. "New rule for us sleeping in the same bed."

"Sounds badical to me," he said with a smile, shucking the mission pants to the ground before climbing in with her.

Had they been sleeping with any space between them, the twin-sized bed would have been a tight fit. However, Kim quickly resumed the cuddling position she'd employed at her uncle's house, which translated into plenty of room for both of them. They kissed goodnight, and Kim was out soon after, Ron following closely on her heels.

* * *

Sensei walked his early evening rounds around the grounds of the Yamanouchi school, observing the students as they finished their final lessons for the day and began heading to their rooms to wash up for dinner. The smells of the meal were already starting to drift from the dining hall, and he could hear the clatter of chopsticks and the chatter of people eating beginning to sound. As he roamed the courtyard, he came upon one area in particular. It had been nearly a half a year since the dark day that the Yono appeared at the gates of the school, and during that time, the destroyer's dark temple had been summoned right in the middle of the grounds. Thankfully, the temple had disappeared back into the earth at Monkey Fist's defeat, but Sensei had taken precautions none the less. He had marked the exact spot where the summoning post was, as well as forbidding any student from touching it. Thus far, it appeared that the order had been followed, and apart from the crazed villain's statue somehow disappearing only to reappear at the U.N. for Drakken's medal ceremony, there had been no signs that the grounds had been disturbed. At least, there hadn't been until tonight.

As the school's master approached the marked spot where the Dark Temple of the Yono was buried, he noticed something odd. The ground appeared uneven, as if someone had been digging but then replaced all the dirt they had removed. Feeling a chill on his neck, Sensei quickly summoned all those students who had done sentry duty that day to his chambers. Once they were gathered, he fixed them all with a grave look.

"My students, I wish to know if any of you witnessed any unusual activity during your guard duties today."

One student, a young kunoichi by the name of Masumi, raised her hand. "Master Sensei, I did not see anything today, but a few nights ago, I believe I might have."

Sensei nodded. "Continue, my child."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "A few nights ago I was posted to night sentry on the left gate tower. When I glanced back towards the school, and I thought I saw several small shadows. However, at that moment the moon hid itself behind the clouds, and before my eyes could adjust, the shadows vanished."

"Where were these shadows located, Masumi-chan?" the teacher asked with a serious look.

"Near the maple that you had planted after telling us we were no longer allowed to approach that area. That is why they drew my eye."

"And you did not report this to any of the teachers?" he said questioningly.

Masumi bowed her head. "I believed at the time that my eyes were merely playing tricks on me, Sensei. Forgive my error in judgment."

The master nodded. "There is nothing to forgive, my student. The rest of you return to your evening meal, and tell no one of what you have heard here in this room."

After the rest of the students had left, Sensei smiled at the young kunoichi. "Masumi, I must ask you to recall any details about these figures that you are able to remember."

The young woman closed her eyes. "There were more than five but less than ten, and all seemed to be doing something to the ground. Also, I knew they were not students because they were much too short."

Sensei nodded. "Anything else? Any information we receive may be of some use. Remember, the smallest grain of rice may tip the scales of fortune."

Masumi scrunched her shut eyes, trying to glean additional details from the memory. "Yes, there is something else. One of them picked something up off the ground and put it into a sack he was carrying on his back."

Although a cold dread now gripped the master, he did not let his student see it. "Thank you, Masumi. You may now rejoin your schoolmates. However, tell no one of this conversation, including your other teachers."

"Yes, Sensei," she said with a respectful bow before departing.

After she had left, he quickly entered into the private area of his quarters, proceeding with swiftness towards what appeared to be a statue with broken teeth in the corner. Removing a few small, stone tokens from his pocket, Sensei placed them in the statue's mouth, where they were revealed to be the carving's missing teeth. The moment all were in place, there was an audible click, and a wall slid up, revealing a hidden room. Inside, there was an ancient scroll that was wrapped around jade rollers whose handles had been carved in the image of monkeys. Slowly, he unrolled the scroll, scanning urgently for the information he sought. When he finally found it, his face fell, and his flowing white mustache began to sway back and forth with worry.

_Stoppable-san, I hope you are ready. For soon you will face an old enemy with new powers you cannot imagine. I can only hope you and Kim Possible are up to this task, and that ties will not blind you to what must be done._

* * *

The next day proved especially hard for Kim and Ron. It started with the two of them slightly oversleeping, and went downhill from there. Thanks to the oversleeping, Monique had to come in and wake them up, causing both to blame the other for not setting the alarm. It was only Monique's quick intervention and pointing out that the power had gone out during the night that prevented the day from starting off with a fight between the two. However, the incident unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the day as well.

In English, Professor Barkin surprised the class with a pop quiz that no one was ready for. Ron's business teacher, Professor Gavin, pulled out a long-winded discussion that nearly put everyone to sleep, while in Kim's History class, Dr. Hyde was in crueler form than usual. On the spur of the moment, he asked a couple of students, Kim included, to give impromptu reports on the papers they had written. Kim managed to pull off a decent presentation, the whole time secretly thankful that Ron had made her take a break the night before. By the time their respective athletic practices rolled around, both were ready for the day to be over so they could chill out. Unfortunately, the practices were especially grueling.

On Kim's end, Coach Williams decided that since the first football game was that weekend, she was going to put the entire team through every single routine they knew until they could almost do them blindfolded. She also stopped the practice intermittently throughout the practice to have the squad run laps around the outside of the building for various slips in their performance. One of these was actually Kim's fault because she had a momentary lapse and wasn't where she was supposed to be for a spot. Thankfully Kim realized her error and fixed it, because the spot turned out to be needed when the toss and catch one of her male teammates was doing with another girl didn't go as planned. However, it still came out sloppy-looking even without the miscue, so they had to run for it. By the time they were done and in the showers, Kim couldn't think of anything she wanted to do more than curl up on a couch with Ron and watch a movie that contained absolutely no explosions. Or maybe pull him into her room or push him into his for a nice, long make-out and massage session. Either way there was a definite smile on her face as she started up the Sloth and went to go pick him up.

**…**  
**…**

Over in Ron's territory, things didn't fare much better. The game with the Upperton U. Wildcats was only two days away, and the Guardians weren't near ready enough in Devereaux's eyes. And really they weren't, as they were constantly missing blocks and tackling assignments. Ron actually spent most of the practice running for his life from the scout team defense, and several times found himself slammed to the ground by a group of three or four defenders. More than once, he got his bell seriously rung, and had to go visit the trainers. One of them, a pretty brunette freshman named Allison Jenkins, seemed to be paying him more than the normal attention, but he brushed it off as her eagerness to learn her craft. Or at least he did until the fourth time it happened.

After that hit, he noticed something odd. A couple of the offensive linemen were standing around as if they knew exactly what assignment they'd missed, and the slot back receiver, Dack Daniels, didn't appear to have touched a soul despite having the lead block on the play. As Ron was helped off to the bench, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. That's when he noticed that once again the trainer attending to him was Allison. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't like the way she was looking at him as she examined him. If Kim had been the trainer, he would have had no complaints, but Allison was certainly not his fiancée. However, in the interest of not causing grief, he simply let the matter go. Finally, after what seemed like most of the practice, the team finally came together enough during the last forty-five minutes of practice to satisfy Devereaux's standards. As the team was heading in, Devereaux called both him and the quarterback Vinnie James over for a private chat.

"What's up, Coach?" Ron asked as the old man motioned for the two players to sit down on the bench.

"Stoppable, James, I want your honest opinion about something, and I don't care who you think it might hurt."

Ron and Vinnie looked at each other nervously before Vinnie spoke up. "Uh, yeah, sure Coach."

Devereaux let out an exasperated sigh. "Boys, I want to know if you think there was something fishy going on today."

"Meaning?" Ron asked with a quizzical look.

"Stoppable, I know you're new to this team. But James, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

Vinnie was silent for a moment before responding. "Yeah, but I couldn't really pin it on anything."

That's when Ron remembered the play that had bugged him. "Uh, Coach, just out of curiosity, when we run the Halfback Sweep out of a slot formation, who has lead block, Nate or Dack? I know they've both got big assignments and I can follow either one, but whose supposed to be the lead on that?"

The grizzled coach fixed him with a meaningful stare. "Why do you ask, son?"

Ron shook his head. "Probably nothing, but it just seemed like today neither one of them could figure it out until the defense was already breathing down my neck."

Vinnie perked up a bit. "You know, Coach, he's right. When we ran any Sweep Runs to Ron out of that, they kept appearing like they were lost. But then when we ran the Sweep Pass that mirrors its movements, they were practically error free."

Devereaux nodded. "My point exactly. Either of you know why that was happening?"

"Got me," Ron replied.

"Same here," Vinnie agreed.

The coach looked them both over. "Okay, that's all I wanted to know. And if it happens tomorrow or during the game Saturday, tell me."

"Right, Coach," they said in unison.

As they walked back towards the locker room, Vinnie spoke up.

"Hey, Ron, I didn't want to say this in front of Coach D. because I don't have any evidence yet. But I think you need to be careful around Daniels and Highland."

"Why's that?" Ron replied as he pulled off his shoulder pads and draped them over his helmet, carrying the whole package by the facemask poking through the neck hole in the pads.

Vinnie did the same. "I think they may be gunning for your girl."

Ron smiled. "Let them try. Me and KP are pretty tight."

The quarterback smiled. "Good to hear. But honestly, they're not the ones I'm worried about. I'm more concerned with the ones feeding their drive on this."

"Who's that?"

Vinnie sighed. "Ron, I don't know if you know this, but right now you're on the cusp of becoming a really big name on this campus, especially if you do well this Saturday against Upperton. And unfortunately, that has some heads turning in your direction. And not all of them like the fact that you're already spoken for. As a friend, I'm worried what that's going to do to you and Kim and your relationship, especially if they try something to split you two up."

Ron groaned. "Homecoming all over again."

The other guy fixed him with a quizzical look. "Homecoming?"

Ron laughed a bit. "Yeah, last year during Middleton's homecoming, I got elected King and Kim won Queen. But a girl named Bonnie who never approved of me rigged the voting so that she ended up getting the position. She then tried to split me and KP up by flirting with me and kissing me at the worst possible times, like right when Kim walked through a door. Kim got pretty tweaked at me, but it worked out eventually when she realized that the whole sitch was Bonnie's fault. Besides, KP knows I'm completely committed to her."

Vinnie shrugged. "I hope you're right man, because these girls don't play nice. And I wouldn't be surprised if they try to pull something that puts you in a pretty bad situation."

Ron nodded. "Thanks for the warning man, but I don't think they'll have any success. Like I said, me and KP are badically tight."

After he'd showered however, Ron's confidence was put to a serious test. As he waited with his gear outside the entrance to the field house for Kim to show up in the Sloth, Allison came over to sit down on the bench next to him.

"Hi, Ronnie. Waiting on a ride?"

Ron sighed. "Hey, Allison. Yeah, waiting on Kim to pick me up. And it's 'Ron' if you don't mind."

She scooted a little closer. "Aww, why's that?"

Ron smiled. "Only one girl gets to call me 'Ronnie,' and that's KP."

The brunette giggled. "Oooooh, so it's a pet name you got from your best friend."

Ron sat up a little straighter. "Hey, me and KP are a lot more than just best friends."

"Sure you are. You know, I never understood why you two are together."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I don't know why people can't seem to accept that me and Kim work as a couple. Sure, we can't explain it, but it works and we're happy with that."

"But how do you know that she's the one for you?" the young woman let ooze out of her mouth. "Maybe there could be someone better for you out there."

Ron shook his head. "No, I know that's not true."

Allison smiled. "How many were you with before her?"

Ron scratched his chin. "Honestly, maybe two or three."

"So then how do you know that you've done enough looking?" she remarked as she slid over a little closer.

"Because I know I love Kim," he replied confidently.

"Maybe you only think you love her," Allison countered with a bat of her eyelashes. "If you haven't really looked, how do you know?"

"What are you getting at, Allison?" he said with a confused look.

"This."

With that, she leaned in and kissed him full on the mouth! And not just a light peck either! When he tried to protest, his mouth was instantly invaded by her tongue! When he put his hands on her shoulders to push her back, her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in his mind, he broke the hold and held her away from him, looking at her like she had lost her mind.

"Allison, what do you think you're doing?" he asked incredulously.

"I could ask you the same thing," said a voice behind him that was filled with anger and hurt.

"Aww man, not now." he complained softly.

Ron closed his eyes and turned slowly around, praying he wouldn't see the face he knew that voice belonged to. When he opened his eyes, Kim was standing there, her arms at her sides, complete and utter hurt written all over her face. Her hands were slowly opening and closing. Before he could blink, one of those hands shot out and smacked him hard across the face. The only thing that told him which hand was the feel of the metal ring encircling the ring finger as it impacted his cheek. The moment the slap had followed through, the owner of that hand had stormed back to her vehicle and shot off into the night.

"Kim! KP! Wait!" he called after her, but she was too far out of earshot. Not that she would have heard him over the squeal of the tires as she sped out of the parking lot.

In an instant, Allison's demeanor changed. "Ron, you and Kim are more than just dating, aren't you?"

Ron hung his head. "We were," he said glumly.

"Listen, maybe I can help. Do you have any reliable number to contact her that isn't her own?"

He sank to the ground. "Maybe," he said. "Why?"

"Dial it and give me the phone. Quickly."

**…**  
**…**

Over on the other side of the parking lot, two faces grinned with delight behind the tinted windows of a dark blue SUV.

"Man, I can't believe that worked!" Dack rejoiced as he high-fived Nate.

"Tell me about it!" the other young man replied with a huge grin. "That slap could have taken someone's head off. So what do we do now?"

Dack smiled. "Tomorrow we find Possible and offer sympathetic ears. Then, according to Rachael and Bricin we just have to make sure we're there for her to rag about Stoppable to. Eventually, she'll drop him and fall for us. Simple, quick, and clean."

Nate laughed. "Man, wait till the girls hear about this. Where are they, by the way?"

Dack grinned. "They said they were going out to Jake's apartment for the party. You up for it?"

"Definitely, man. I could use a few beers to celebrate this."

**…**  
**…**

Monique was cleaning up her essay for Barkin's class when her phone began ringing. Noting that it was Ron's number, she quickly picked it up and smiled.

"Hey, Ron. What's up?"

However, the voice that came across the line was one that was female and foreign to Monique's ears. "Hi, is this Monique? Monique Watson?"

"Yes, this is Monique," she replied uncertainly.

"Monique, this is Allison Jenkins, and I need your help like now."

Monique was a little confused. "Okay, but how can I help you?"

The girl sounded calm but with a hint of frantic. "Has Kim made it back to your Unit by any chance?"

"No. Why, is something wrong?"

Allison voice was unsteady. "Monique, I caused a problem between Kim and Ron, and I think Kim is under the impression it's all Ron's fault. But the thing is Ron had nothing to do with it. I'm the one who's to blame here, but after the way Kim reacted I think she might break up with him over it."

Now Monique knew it was serious. "Okay, tell me exactly what happened."

**…**  
**…**

Kim sat in the parking lot in the Sloth, trying to stop the tears that were flowing rapidly down her face. She wanted to believe that Ron would never do anything to hurt her, but it was hard to argue with what she'd seen. And really, it was hard to misinterpret it either. Even now she could see his arms wrapped around the skinny brunette he had been playing tonsil hockey with. And what was worse was that his arms were wrapped around the girl's skinny waist as well. It wasn't like homecoming a year ago when Bonnie had kissed him as he tried to push her away. No, Ron Stoppable had been a willing participant in this kiss. Through her tears, she looked at her left hand, causing a fresh wave of betrayal to hit her.

This time, he hadn't just betrayed her heart as her boyfriend—he had done so as her fiancé. In one swift movement, she removed the ring and threw it into her purse. The next time she saw him, it was getting shoved right back at him…or better yet, right down his throat. She picked up her things stuff, wiped her eyes, and headed inside, hoping that Monique was out. The last thing she needed was for her BFF to see her like this right now.

Unfortunately, at least in Kim's mind, her best friend was sitting right there on the couch and staring at her when she opened the door, almost as if Monique were expecting her. One look at the young woman's face, and Kim knew that Monique had already heard what had happened.

"Kim," she began.

"I _don't_ want to talk about it," Kim snapped.

In a flash, Monique had moved with a speed Kim didn't know her friend possessed and blocked the way into the red-head's room. "Well, you need to. And before you get all high-horse about what you _think_ you saw, you are going to sit down and listen to what _I_ have to say. And don't even think about using that 'sixteen forms of kung fu' crap to get past me, because I will knock you silly if you try. Now, sit!"

The fire behind her friend's eyes caused Kim to step back in surprise. "Monique, how would you feel if Wade did something like this to you?"

Monique took a step towards her. "First of all, Wade and I aren't dating, and even if we were we aren't even close to the level you and Ron are on…"

"Were on," Kim snapped bitterly.

"No, the level you _ARE on!_" Monique fired back. "And secondly, before I jumped the gun on this I'd want to make sure I had the whole story."

"You have _his_ side of it," Kim spit out, although the outburst caused a fresh wave of tears to hit her. "You have _his_ version, not the whole story."

Monique shook her head in disbelief. "Girl, you don't know whose side I have. But I will say it's not Ron's version of the events—that much I know for certain. Now sit before I call your mother to come and straighten you out."

Kim sat, but the anger and hurt did not leave her face. "All right, fine then. You want to talk, then talk. Tell me what you think you know."

Monique took a deep breath, and started pacing as she spoke. "Alright then. What I do know is that right now there is an amazing young man caught in a situation that he had no part in causing other than being exactly who he is and doing what he normally does. I also know that there are parties at work here that neither you nor he knew about before tonight, and that they did this because they are jealous of what you two have. Do you understand so far?"

Kim didn't know how to reply at first. Whatever she had been expecting Monique to say, it hadn't been this. "I think so."

Monique nodded. "Good. Now, yes, I did get a phone call about this, and yes, it came from Ron's phone. _But_, Ron was not the one who made that call. Instead, it was a young woman who was also an unwitting pawn in this whole thing. Are you still following me?"

Kim nodded, a sense of dread beginning to seep in. "Yes."

Monique continued. "This young woman is named Allison, and she was informed by these other parties that you and Ron were nothing more than friends, and that the whole dating thing was just a ruse you cooked up to get the press to stop asking you who you were seeing. Thus, she thought Ron was available, and was the one who initiated the flirting and kissing. Are you still following?"

Kim felt herself unable to breathe normally. "Oh my God, you mean I..."

Monique fixed her with a stare. "You better believe it, girl. What you just basically did was slap the love of your life for the very same reason you agreed to date him, and that is for being himself. As soon as you left that parking lot, Allison asked for his phone and called me to tell me everything that had just happened. She also told me who had put her up to it, which I will reveal _only after_ you and Ron sit down and talk about this. Currently, she is giving him a ride back to this building, and is going to bring him to this room. And I might add that she told me she actually had to basically force him into her car to get him to come up here. Now, when he comes through that door, I want you to look in those eyes and think about what you just did. According to what she's told me about the situation, you might as well have shoved that ring of yours down his throat and left him to go back to Josh Mankey."

Kim was flabbergasted, and the tears falling down her face were no longer of the betrayal that she thought Ron had dealt to her, but of the one she had actually pulled on him. Looking at her finger, she noticed the ring wasn't there. She was about to panic when she remembered it was still in her purse. Dumping the entire contents out, she frantically searched for the sign of Ron's love for her, and quickly pulled it out of the mess once she found it. She was just about to put it back on when a thought occurred to her, a way to help Ron understand that she wasn't about to end things with him.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at their door. Monique answered, and the brunette Kim had witnessed kissing Ron entered with a worried look on her face, followed by a young man who resembled Ron but had none of the typical boyish wonder anywhere on his visage. The moment he entered, he looked at Kim, specifically at her left hand, and his face fell even farther than the low point it had already been at. Monique quickly directed him to a chair, where he not so much sat as he rather sank into the cushions, his face one of complete defeat and despair.

Allison spoke up first. "Kim, my name's Allison Jenkins. Listen, I am so sorry. Ron had nothing to do with this; it was all me. And if you feel like it, I'd completely understand if you would like to slap me through the wall."

Kim smiled and shook her head. "Monique told me everything Allison. Just…please wait a moment. I do have some questions I want to ask you about these people who put you up to this, but I need to..."

The young woman nodded her understanding and took a step back, and Kim turned towards the shadow that was her fiancé. Or at least, she hoped he still was.

"Ron?" she asked tentatively.

Silence.

"Ron?" she said again, this time kneeling in front of him and putting her hand on his knee.

"What is it, Kimberly?" he asked dejectedly, his voice hollow.

The use of her full name hit her hard. "Ron, I'm…I'm so…I…"

At that point, the dam broke, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. Her eyes streaming tears, she lunged forward and locked lips with him. It took a minute, the longest minute of her life, but eventually he began returning the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she was overjoyed when he returned the embrace, though she could feel his tears mixing with her own.

"KP, I'm so sorry. I know how that must have looked and..."

"Ronnie, shut up," she sobbed. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I jumped to conclusions and assumed you were doing something to hurt me, something I should know by now you'd never intentionally do."

Ron gave her a watery grin, and it made her spirit soar. However, the question he asked nearly brought her crashing back to earth. "But then why did you take the ring off, KP? Don't you want to marry me anymore?"

She smiled and handed him the ring. "Ask me again."

"Huh?" he said with a very confused look.

"Ask me the question again."

"Okay?" he replied, not sounding at all sure of himself. "Umm…KP, will you marry me?" he said as he held up the ring.

"Yes!" she exclaimed as she held out her hand to allow him to slip the ring on its designated finger. "With all my heart and everything that I am!" When the ring was once again securely on her finger, she punctuated her answer with a scorching kiss that literally caused his toes and his fingers curl, as well as causing his arms to wrap involuntarily around her.

"That answer work for you?" she joked when they finally broke for air.

"Boo Yeah," he said breathlessly.

A clearing of Monique's throat quickly reminded them there was other business to attend to that evening.

Kim turned to Allison. "Now then, I want all the information you've got on the people who put you up to this, Allison. I need to know exactly who it is that's trying to split me and Ron up."

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are welcome and appreciated. :)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N

Chapter 10 is up and running!

Sorry for the delay folks, but I've hit a few rough spots in my personal life recently. But now that they are taken care of, I should be able to get back on schedule. Now, on to the story:

Allison reveals what she knows, and plans are made for payback. At the same time, an unknown connection is revealed.

Wade tries to figure out the common thread in recent events while reminiscing a little.

Kim and Ron face the backlash from their "break-up", including a surprising reaction from unexpected sources.

The girls share a bonding moment over a shopping trip.

And then it's time for some football!

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

A clearing of Monique's throat quickly reminded them there was other business to attend to that evening.

Kim turned to Allison. "Now then, I want all the information you've got on the people who put you up to this, Allison. I need to know exactly who it is that's trying to split me and Ron up."

The brunette shrugged and looked at the ground. "All I know is that one of the senior football players has been coming up to me these past few weeks and telling me that Ron was interested in dating me. The first few times I told him that I thought you two were still together, but he kept saying that it was just a show you two were putting on to get the media to leave you alone about your social lives. And he kept insisting that you would never make a move on me, Ron, because you were shy around girls, and that if I wanted to get to know you better, I'd have to be the one to get things started. That's why I kept making sure I was the one who tended to you."

"Makes sense," Ron replied. "Do you know his name?"

Allison shook her head. "No, but I can tell you he's big, has dark hair, hazel-green eyes, and is one of the starters."

Ron thought hard for a moment. "Well, that could still be a number of guys on the team, though I don't know eye colors on most of them. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

The girl closed her eyes for a bit. "Well…I think I might have heard one of the other guys call him…'Double D,' maybe?"

Ron's teeth immediately gritted together. "Dack Daniels," he snarled quietly. "Vinnie was right."

"Vinnie James? The quarterback?" Kim asked, slightly taken aback. "I thought you said he was a nice guy. What's he got to do with this?"

Ron's free hand was clenched tightly, and his eyes were hard. "He is a nice guy, more so than I realized, evidently. Vinnie tried to warn me about something exactly like this right after we got done with practice today. And he specifically mentioned Daniels and Nate Highland when he told me about what he suspected."

Allison shook her head. "No, I'm sure Dack acted alone. As a matter of fact, Nate actually disapproved of me going after you," she said confusedly. "Said you wouldn't want to do anything without discussing it with Kim first since she was your best friend. Why would he do that if he were part of it?"

Kim put her hand to her chin. "Maybe Vinnie only though Nate was in on the whole thing because he's friends with Dack. Guilty by association, and all that."

Ron nodded. "I don't know why Nate would act like that, considering we aren't anywhere close to friends. But Dack pulling something like this doesn't surprise me in the least. There's been several times during practice lately that he's intentionally missed a blocking assignment just so I'd get flattened by the defense. Doing something like this is sounding more and more like its right up his alley."

Monique looked suddenly worried. "Uh, Ron, you don't think he'll try anything in the game Saturday, do you? I mean, its one thing to get hit by your teammates in practice, but SEE to get smashed by another team."

"SEE?" said Allison, scratching her head.

"Something Else Entirely," explained Kim. "Monique uses a lot of acronyms when she talks."

The brunette's smile grew about ten sizes. "Oh…okay. NBD. IJDUWYSAF."

Monique's eyes went wide, and her smile got huge. "NW. ICBY."

Allison grinned. "YBII. HSYSIM, girl."

The two girls immediately squealed and hugged, leaving both Kim and Ron slightly…no, completely lost.

"Uh, Mon, what's going on here?" Kim said with a puzzled look.

Monique smiled. "It's a small world, TWGO, girl. You remember me telling you about Allie, the girl I was best friends with back when I lived in Cincinnati?"

"The one that moved to Atlanta when you were in fifth grade? This is her?" Kim said as it suddenly dawned on her.

"The OAO," Allison said as a laughing smile spread across her face. "Me and Monique lost touch when she moved to Middleton a few years ago, which is where I'm guessing she met you. I happen to be the one who introduced my girl here to the fine fashions of Club Banana, and am probably one of the reasons she normally speaks in her acronyms."

Kim grinned. "I smell a major shopping trip in the works."

"Definitely," Monique said with a smile.

Ron shook his head. "Ohh-kay, so you know her and all three of you are Club Banana girls. Listen, I don't want to spoil this moment, but we do still have an issue to deal with here."

Allison nodded. "Hate to say it, but he's right. We need to figure out some way to get back at Dack for playing us like that."

Kim grinned. "I think I may know a couple of people who can give us some suggestions."

Ron smiled, but his eyes showed a trace of nervousness. "KP, I know you're pretty tweaked at him, but do you really think we need to call them on this?"

Kim's wink was fully of mischievous deviousness. "Just for suggestions, Ronnie," she replied as she pulled out her cell phone.

* * *

Wade sighed as he went over the numerous information bits and caches he was currently running through his system. One computer was crunching all the data Team Possible had on the movements of Monkey Fist's monkey ninjas since the crazed villain had been encased in stone. Another was analyzing the information he'd received from Andy Lipsky about Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey. A third machine was currently running through its daily task of scanning all media throughout the world for mentions of Team Possible's regular villains. And a fourth device was going over random crimes that had occurred recently that might be of interest to them on future missions.

For the past hour, he'd been feeding information into the first computer, trying to find some sort of correlation between the known movements of the monkey ninjas and their recent break-ins at the Stoppable house and Ron's dorm room. But so far, nothing had come up. Looking at the data again, it seemed to make no sense whatsoever. Leaning back in his chair, he sighed and put his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. It was times like this he missed having Monique around. During the summer, when she and her brother Jamal had been staying with him and his family, she'd often times brought a lemonade or an energy drink down to him, especially when she wanted to talk. Jamal was still there, but discussions with him were nothing compared to the chats with his attractive younger sister. Those talks had been welcome breaks in Wade's searches and data compilations, and had often been thoroughly enjoyable, even when they talked of nothing. They also had the effect of helping the tech genius refocus, allowing him to re-attack a problem from a new angle and find solutions that had evaded him.

Now, as he struggled through this task, Wade realized he'd actually come to rely on that recharge. He imagined Monique coming down the stairs, a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade and a pair of glasses in her hand, that beautiful smile of her beaming at him—and suddenly he was hit with an idea. He quickly leaned forward, and set up a quick search of all the recent random crimes that might involve ancient texts or primate-related research. When it got several hits, Wade couldn't help but smile. However, when he began reading the results of his search, he frowned again. So far, none of the crimes had any leads as to who had committed them. All they had in common besides the "ancient monkey text" aspect was that every single text, book, or writing had been stolen out of a locked room with no signs of forced entry. Or at least, there had been nothing that a human or a monkey could fit through. Wade scratched his head, the mystery puzzling him.

Who could be after monkey texts besides Monkey Fist and his simian underlings?

* * *

Friday came and went with relatively little incident—well, relatively little if you didn't count the numerous students who approached either Kim or Ron and asked if they were okay. Evidently, the news of Team Possible's "break-up" had spread like wildfire through the campus rumor mill. Even Felix, who neither of them saw until that morning, needed confirmation that Kim and Ron were still together. More surprising than that, however, was the sheer number of people who looked even the littlest bit disappointed that either Kim or Ron wasn't suddenly available on the dating market. Neither of them had ever really considered how many people would want to date one of them simply based on their status, particularly Ron. While it was a change of pace to get a relative gauge on a celebrity status they couldn't care less for, the whole experience left them both feeling a little bit under the microscope. So after their practices that day, the two of them decided to hit the Upperton Galleria Mall to get away from it all for a bit, inviting Monique, Felix, and Allison to come along.

At the mall, they also met up with Zita Flores, and she and Felix headed off on their own for a bit, promising to meet up with the rest in a few hours. However, that was not before Zita herself had to confirm that Ron and Kim were still together.

"What is the deal?" Kim complained. "Why is it such a big story that me and Ron 'might' have broken up?"

Zita pointed over at the mall's newsstand. "Whoever set you guys up also reported it to the tabloids. I know there's at least two or three over there singing the headline that you two are through with each other."

"Well, we aren't" the red head replied with an unintentional ice to her voice. At Zita's slightly hurt look, she smiled at her friend. "I'm sorry, Zita. I've just heard way too much about Ron and me supposedly breaking up today, and I'm ferociously tired of being asked about it."

The Hispanic girl nodded. "It's okay, Kim. No apology necessary. To be honest with you, if they were saying that about me and Felix I'd probably feel the same, especially on a day like today. And that reminds me: Happy Birthday, Ron!"

"Thanks, Zita," he replied with a grin.

With that, Felix and Zita headed off alone for some couple time, and Kim let out an annoyed sigh as Ron insisted on buying a copy of every single tabloid that Zita had mentioned having an article about the break-up.

"Ron, there is no need to look at those trash rags," she said as she attempted to snatch at least one of them and chuck it in the trash.

"C'mon, KP, I only bought them for the laughs. Besides, you gotta admit some of these headlines are pretty inventive," he defended as he pointed at the covers of the periodicals.

Rolling her eyes, Kim glanced at the titles of the articles, and had to admit some of them did involve a certain amount of "creativeness" in their wording. _Love Impossible for Team Possible: Kim and Ron Call it Quits. Possible/Stoppable: Could It Be Heartache? Possible Breaks the UnStoppable Heart._

Monique elbowed her gently. "Oh, c'mon girl. You knew even a hint of something like this was gonna make headlines."

Kim sighed. "I know. I just wish it were already December so we could put this whole speculation thing about the two of us breaking up to complete and final rest."

Allison blinked a few times. "Why December?"

Kim frowned. "Ron and I both have relatives we know are going to object to the two of us getting married, so we're waiting to break the news of our engagement to the press until we can confront all of both families face to face. We're supposed to meet with the trouble in my family towards the end of October, and we're getting together with the objectors in his family over Thanksgiving."

Ron, who had been reading one of the articles about their supposed break-up, suddenly slammed the paper down on the table. "KP, look at this article."

Kim stood and put her hands on her hips. "Ron, I am not going to read some made-up junk about us shattering each other's hearts."

Ron shook his head. "Not that. This," he said thrusting the paper at her."

Kim glanced at the article, her focus quickly zoning out after a few seconds. "'Giant Cat-Snake Invades Museum.' Okay, I'll bite," she said with a smile. "'Police say Irene Small, a librarian at the National Museum of Natural History Library in Washington, D.C., claimed a giant snake with the head of a common house cat broke into the rare books room and made off with the last remaining copy of a text from the World Literature section. The book has been dated at sometime around 800, and was thought to have been penned by Chinese monks who were known for their fanatical worship of gorillas. However, Miss Small's report was discredited by the police when her co-workers claimed that she often makes up wild stories to entertain herself during the long and lonely hours that librarians must work. However we at the Standard,' yadda, yadda, yadda. Okay…and the point of this is?" She shook the paper with a bored expression.

"Kim…cat-headed snake," Ron said with a pointed voice. "Think about it."

"Ron, D.N. Amy doesn't go after dusty books that pre-date the printing press by six hundred years. It's ferociously outside her normal operating style. She's more concerned with modern science and perverting it with genetic modifications. Plus, these are the same magazines that covered the snow beast on Mount Middleton when we went on that school ski trip a few years ago."

"That was due to D.N. Amy and her experiments too, if you remember," he said with a smiling smirk and a cocked eyebrow. "And what about her going after the PDVI?"

"Again, against her normal M.O," Kim countered. "Besides, these tabloids rarely get all the facts right."

"Can we at least have Wade check on it?"

"Ron…" she began, but Monique cut her off.

"You know, girl, stuff like this is why people were more inclined to believe you two really had called it quits," the young African-American woman said with a serious tone.

"Gotta admit, Kim—it does sound harsh," Allison agreed.

"Please, KP," Ron said with a pleading look at his love that she hadn't seen him use in a long time. "It's not just you and me involved in this, it's my family too."

Kim smiled and conceded. "Okay. The minute we get back to the dorms, I promise I'll call him. But right now I just want to relax and do some serious shopping. My Club Banana Card hasn't seen this long a break since the weeks following me getting my braces at thirteen."

Ron scratched his head a bit. "KP, you didn't even have a Club Banana Card back then. Your mom wouldn't let you get one until you were fourteen, remember?"

Kim smiled. "No, she wouldn't let me use it without her present at the purchase until I was fourteen."

The young man grinned. "Well, while you ladies do that, I'm going to go check out some of the other stores here. Meet you back here in about an hour?"

Monique flipped her hair. "WTM, Ron? Don't want to see three fine sisters trying on clothes?"

He was about to reply when Kim beat him to the punch. "Oh, the trying on he likes just fine. It's the waiting while we decide what to try on he has trouble dealing with."

Allison laughed. "And he probably doesn't want to get stuck carrying all the bags."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Ron retorted with a smile. "I just figured I'd give you girls some bonding time. After all, I got plenty of bonding time with KP last night while we were making up."

"RON!" Kim squeaked as she blushed to her roots.

"Have fun, ladies!" he called with a laugh as he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Allison's smile nearly busted off her cheeks as the girls headed for the Club Banana store. "Sounds like someone had fun last night."

Kim's blush deepened significantly. "We didn't do anything beyond kissing. Honest."

Monique grinned. "Which is why you're going redder than your man's favorite jersey right now. C'mon, girl, spill. TUE."

"Not doing this," Kim said with an airy voice and smile as she began picking through the racks.

Allison joined her at the same rack, nudging her lightly in the shoulder. "C'mon, Kim. I promise I'm not as bad as Mon-Ton about working the gossip chain on both ends." She pronounced the nickname like the Chinese side dish.

"Mon-Ton?" Kim said with an amused cocked eyebrow at the girl. "Where'd that one come from?"

"Allie-Cat, if you know what is good for you, you will CIO right now," Monique interrupted with a friendly glare. "Unless you want Kim to learn where your nickname comes from as well."

"Fine," the brunette consented with a smile. "So Kim, what did you and Ron do last night after I left?"

Monique grinned. "All I know is he stayed in her room all night long, and that they almost overslept this morning."

"Hey, how'd we get back on this topic?" Kim complained good-naturedly.

**…**  
**…**

An hour later and a half later, the three girls were still giggling as they waited at the register. As they checked out, Kim leaned over the counter towards the sales girl.

"Hey, would it be alright if I changed into one of these and left the store in it after you removed the tag?"

The clerk smiled. "Sure thing, Miss Possible. If you'll tell me which one, I can go ahead and remove the tags and you can change while I ring up the rest of your ticket."

"Go for the pink one, girl," Monique said with a smile. "Ron'll love it."

Allison shook her head. "No, go for the dark red pants and crop jacket. Get his blood pressure up."

Kim grinned. "Actually, I'm going for both. Why do you think I spent so long picking out the color of the shoes I bought?"

A few minutes after she walked back to the dressing rooms, Ron made his presence known. "What's hanging, ladies? Where's KP?"

Monique smiled. "She's just changing into one of the outfits she bought."

Kim chose that moment to come out, and Ron's jaw dropped at the sight of the outfit. The whole thing looked great as a complete ensemble, accenting her perfectly, but this was the first time he could ever remember seeing her wear a shirt with a peek-a-boo cutout. Add to that little tidbit that the pants showed off her butt perfectly, and he couldn't form a coherent thought to save his life.

Allison giggled again. "And to answer your first question, from the looks of it, your jaw would be what's hanging."

Kim came up to him and kissed him full on the mouth. "I take it you like this look?" she said as she pulled back.

"KP, you look badical," he breathed out. "So is my birthday present that I get to see what that hole is offering?"

The red-head smiled. "Ronnie, I told you that your birthday present would come after the game tomorrow," she said with a flirting tap of his nose with her finger.

Monique grinned. "Speaking of this boy's birthday, you two got any special plans for it tonight?"

Kim shook her head as she turned around, though she made sure to stay in the loving confines of Ron's arms around her waist. "Nope. We're actually doing the celebratory dinner date thing tomorrow after the game. Besides, Ron needs to rest up for tomorrow. And I probably need to as well. So I'm making sure we both get to bed at a decent time tonight."

"Aww man," Ron complained good-naturedly.

Allison nodded. "She's right, Ron. I've got a friend who's a trainer over at Upperton, and he said the Wildcats aren't to be taken lightly this year. Plus, if you guys beat them tomorrow, it'll be the first time G.V.U.'s won their season opener in nearly eighteen years. And the first win in the home-opener in ten."

"Oh, so no pressure then," he replied with a nervous grin.

* * *

The next afternoon turned out to have the perfect football weather. The sun was shining brightly, and the temperatures were setting around that just perfect not-too-warm, not-too-cold feel that seemed to announce to the masses in no uncertain terms that it was football season. Kim and Ron drove down together to G.V.U. Stadium, even though Kim didn't have to be there for at least another half-hour. When Ron asked her about it just outside the door to the football team's locker room, she merely smiled as she leaned over and kissed him.

"Just felt like giving my guy a couple good-luck kisses right before he goes into the locker room."

"Boo Yeah," Ron replied after the second scorcher. "So I'll meet you in this hallway after the game, right?"

"You bet. Good luck, Ronnie."

"Thanks, KP."

With that, he turned and entered the Guardian locker room. Once inside, the first thing Ron noticed was the difference in mood from his high school days. When he'd been a member of the Middleton Mad Dog football team, Coach Steve Barkin had always insisted that his players prepare for the game in quiet dignity. Thus, he had forbid everything noisy apart from necessary talking. However, Coach William Devereaux appeared to come from a different mold entirely. The locker room was abuzz with activity, and there was rock music from the 80's, 90's, and 2000's blasting away over the speakers. It wasn't deafening, but it was most certainly a noticeable difference. As he looked around the room, Ron took notice of the various ways his teammates were getting into focus.

The starting offensive linemen were all huddled off in a corner, all of them fully dressed out and their heads bowed in what appeared to be prayer. Vinnie James, the quarterback, was wearing only his football pants and cleats as he went through footwork routines that made him look more like a boxer than a scrambling field general. Jean-Luc Brissart, one of the linebackers, had taken up a meditation pose, while Viktor Tretiov, a cornerback, was doing stretching exercises that were putting his body into positions Ron was sure the human body was never meant to assume. Other players had towels over their heads, or were sitting back in their lockers with headphones on and eyes closed. And then Ron's eyes saw the one person he didn't want to see right now: Dack Daniels.

The senior slot back/receiver was sitting in a circle of other players, still dressed in his street clothes, apparently playing some sort of card game. Ron was tempted to walk over and start pounding on the jerk with fully unleashed Mystical Monkey Power, but he kept his temper in check. Despite how good it might feel to unleash a payback on the guy for the hell he'd just put Kim through, Ron knew that wouldn't be wise right now. Even if you threw out the trouble Ron would invariably find himself in, the team would still suffer a major blow. As much as the blonde young man hated to admit it, Daniels was a big leader on the team, and several of the other players looked up to him. Still, if they knew what he'd done to Kim and Ron, they might not be so willing to follow him.

Forcing his mind onto other things, Ron changed out of his street clothes and slipped on his football pants. Then he went out to the trainers' tables to get his ankles wrapped. Three games in to his one year of high school football, Ron Stoppable had discovered the benefits of getting his ankles taped. The extra support around the foot joints helped cut down on his ankles swelling up like grapefruits, especially if one were to consider the amount of juking and spin-moves he pulled out on the field. As he emerged into the trainers' area, he found only one table open: the one belonging to Allison. After it had been revealed that she'd been played like the rest of them, any hard feelings had instantly evaporated. They smiled at each other as he climbed up on the table and stretched his legs out.

"What'll it be, Ron?" the brunette asked as she pulled out the non-adhesive and adhesive sports tapes.

"Standard ankle support if you don't mind," he said with a grin.

As she began the figure eight around the ankles, her smile grew. "Speaking of support…"

Ron groaned. "Allison, you didn't…"

"Didn't what?" she said innocently yet deviously.

The young man sighed. "Look, Kim's brothers have a prankster streak a mile wide, but sometimes they don't think about the effects of the jokes they pull. Besides, you've heard what Coach Devereaux's been saying this week: we need everyone at top form if we're going to beat Upperton today."

Though she continued wrapping his ankles, the young woman got a thoughtful look on her face. "But don't you agree that a little Icy-Hot hidden in his jock strap would teach him a lesson?"

Ron shook his head, but couldn't stop the smile. "Allison, I'd love to get back at him for Thursday night too, but not today."

She nodded in defeat. "Fine. I haven't done it yet anyway. But I still say he deserves it." She finished up his wraps. "All set."

"Thanks," Ron replied with a grin. "And hey, I'm not saying don't do it, just that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do it right before this particular game."

**…  
…**

Over in the cheer team's locker room, Kim smiled as she changed in to the G.V.U. uniform. It was cut just a little higher than the Middleton one had been, exposing more of her stomach, but it felt good to be in one of these again. As she was tying up her tennis shoes, Nina Arroyo came over to sit down next to her. The co-captain had pulled her long black hair into a ponytail that hung down at least a foot past her shoulders.

"Nervous, Kim?" she said with a smile.

"A little," the red-head replied. "Mainly because I don't think I've ever been in front of this big a crowd. Middleton never did really have a good shot at any sports championships, so the biggest crowd I've ever cheered in front of was at the State Finals this past May."

Nina nodded. "Don't worry about it. To be honest, I was just like you my first time out, but it's really not that different from cheering for your team back in your hometown. The only real difference is the noise level, but that's helped a little by the fact that we're on the field separate from the fans."

Kim smiled. "I figured that. My mom's an alumnus of Upperton, and I actually went to a few games with her and my dad when I was younger. Watching those Wildcat cheerleaders was part of the reason I wanted to join the Middleton squad."

"Just remember, we're not allowed to fraternize with the players under any circumstances. And if something happens to Ron on the field, you have to wait until he's on the sidelines to go check on him."

Kim took a deep breath as she adjusted her top once more. "To tell the truth, I'm actually more concerned about what Ron's going to think of me in this uniform. These have a bit less to them than the Middleton ones did, and I'm a little worried he's going to have trouble focusing on the game instead of me."

Nina laughed. "Well, if what Vinnie's told me is true, Devereaux is going to have Ron so focused on the game he won't even notice what you're wearing."

Kim looked at the young woman. "So you and Vinnie James are dating?"

Nina shook her head. "Hell no! Me and Vinnie are way too close for that." At Kim's giggle, she turned a questioning eye. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just that I used to say the exact same thing about me and Ron."

Nina was about to reply when Coach Leslie Williams came over.

"Possible, can I talk to you in my office for a moment?"

"Sure thing, ma'am."

Once they were inside, the blonde woman shut the door and drew the blinds. "Possible, I know this is your first game in the Guardian uniform, but I've been asked to relay a message from the rest of the team. Something that quite frankly took me by surprise."

Kim was slightly confused. "What's that, ma'am?"

Williams smiled. "Kim, they've asked if you would mind being the lead on the tunnel rush today."

"Me?" Kim's voice squeaked a little. "But Coach Williams, that's reserved for one of the seniors. And the only way someone of less rank gets that position is if a junior manages to make Captain or Co-Captain. Why do they want me to do it?"

Another smile. "To be honest, Kim, I think it has something to do with how you helped out Paulette's boyfriend a few weeks ago. The rest of the team was evidently really impressed by that, even Garreth and Lambert."

Kim was taken aback by that. Upon joining the Guardian cheer squad, she'd discovered much to her dismay that there were people who could be snarkier and more concerned about social status than Bonnie. Both Rachael Garreth and Bricin Lambert had shown an almost instant dislike for Kim and her "unearned" status on the campus. As a result, they'd taken practically every opportunity to knock her down both physically and mentally. Well, Rachael had at least; Bricin's attack had definitely been much more subtle, almost hidden, and employing the kind of false congratulations and fake support that Kim's high school rival had been so fond of. If it hadn't been for the leggy brunette's use of the tactic, Kim might not have realized what her fellow red-head was trying to do. The fact that even these two wanted Kim in such a position of prominence was nothing short of surprising.

"Okay," she replied with a smile. "But only if they make it the only time this season. I still don't want special treatment just because of what I do."

"Agreed," the older woman said as she shook Kim's hand. "Oh, and Kim? Good luck out there."

"Thanks," the teen answered with a grin as she exited the office to finish getting ready.

**…  
…**

The football team was gathered in a group around Devereaux. The game was less than twenty minutes from kickoff, and they had already done all of their pre-game warm-ups. Now they were back in the locker room for one last pre-game pep talk. Devereaux scanned them all with a look that was a cross between a dissatisfied drill sergeant and a proud father.

"Gentlemen, those of you who were here last year know that I'm not big on the 'win one for the Gipper' speeches. I will however, say that you need to go out there and win this for yourselves. You have worked too hard for this to walk away knowing you didn't give everything you had to win this game. Defense, you know you can keep them off the board, and offense, you know you can own that field. For you seniors, this is your last year to prove how good you really are. And for you freshmen, it's time to show us all what you've got. I won't lie, the Upperton Wildcats are a tough bunch, and they're going to give you one hell of a fight. But I also know that if they put their best out there and we put out our best effort, we're the ones who will come out on top. Now, I'm going to turn it over to your captains. The assistant coaches, trainers, and I are going out to the tunnel. Daniels, Brissart, James, gentlemen the floor is yours."

As the coaches left, Brissart stood up, his impressive frame towering above the rest of the kneeling players and his dark blue eyes flashing brilliantly. When he spoke, his French accent enhanced his words.

"Guys, I know Coach told us to win this for ourselves, but I say we say hell with that. We've got some of the greatest coaches in the world, and every year they get overlooked. Well, I don't know about you, but this year I'm giving everyone a reason to look at them more closely, and that's starts as soon as that coin is tossed. And I promise you, if I think any one of you, especially you freshmen, aren't giving everything you've got, I will personally put you through the ground myself. THIS IS OUR HOUSE, AND IT'S TIME WE DEFENDED IT LIKE THE GUARDIANS WE ARE!"

The primal roar that last line elicited from the rest of the team, Ron included, would have made anyone who heard it either proud or worried. The team surged forth out of the locker room, pumping their fists and smacking their palms against a lucky sign that read "Guardians Protect Their Home". As they charged out on the field, the crowd let up a roar that shook the stadium. Up in the press box, the commentators, Rick Shield and Wally Spear were just getting into their intros.

"Hello, Guardian fans, and welcome to the 'Shield and Spear Show'. Welcome to another beautiful season for Guardian Football. I'm Rick Shield, and with me as always is my partner in crime, Wally Spear. We're coming to you live from G.V.U. Stadium, where today the Guardians will take on the Wildcats of Upperton U. If they can pull off a win they'll become the first team in over a decade to take down the Wildcats, and the first in two decades to win their home opener."

"That's right, Rick. Coach Topper's Wildcats are looking tough this year, but Devereaux assures us his boys are at the best he's ever seen. He's confident that this will be the team to pull off that championship that still eludes him in an otherwise brilliant career as the skipper of the G.V.U. team. He also says that this group of boys has the talent to surprise a lot of people, and that especially includes Stoppable."

"Wally's referring to the one and only Ron Stoppable, the male half of world-famous heroic duo Team Possible. After he shattered all sorts of Colorado State High School football records during his one and only year on the Middleton Mad Dogs squad, Guardian fans were ecstatic this past July when we learned that this young man would be joining our favorite team. We expect big things from this young man, and are looking forward to what he shows us today against what was ranked as one of the better defensive cores in the nation this pre-season. Wildcat linebackers Hammer, Sampson, and Harris have all said they'll be gunning for Stoppable, and defensive ends Blake and Matlack have guaranteed they're not letting him get to the outside and use his speed. It'll be interesting to see what the speedy freshman can manage to pull off."

Spear laughed. "It'll be like avoiding henchmen all over again, especially considering that Blake and Matlack weigh nearly five hundred fifty pounds with just the two of them, Rick."

"We'll just have to see what happens then, Wally. And the referee is signaling that the Guardians have won the toss, and Devereaux has deferred…wait…no! It appears that Coach Devereaux has broken his streak of constantly deferring to the second half, and has opted to go for the first strike today. This is very unusual for the old war dog, people."

"Maybe he wants to show everyone just what he's got up his sleeve this season, Rick. Or maybe he's just decided to change up his game plan to throw Topper off his."

"Whatever the reason, the constant receiving team of Tretiov and Daniels are back deep."

**…**  
**…**

As the kickoff sailed through the air, Devereaux came up to Ron. "Stoppable, I think it's time we show these fans what they're going to see for the next four years. Are you ready?"

Ron took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, Coach."

Devereaux smiled. "Good, cause we're calling your number right off the bat. Tell James I want a Halfback Sweep to the strong side out of the Georgia I. Once you get past the line, go for it all. Put those legs to some good use."

"Yes sir," Ron said with a grin.

Unfortunately for the Guardians, the kick return didn't go anywhere, as Tretiov only managed to get back to the twelve. As the offense headed out on the field, Ron relayed the message. In the huddle, James looked at everyone.

"Alright guys, Coach D. wants to send a message right off the bat. Call is a Colorado Sweep on two. Highland, left, Stoppable right. Ready, Break!"

**…**  
**…**

"Looks like we get to see what Ron can do right off the bat, Kim," Emily said with an appreciative glance at the field.

Kim couldn't resist a grin. "Guess so."

**…**  
**…**

Up in the stands, Gene Stoppable and James Possible watched in excited anticipation. James had nearly had a coronary at how revealing the G.V.U. cheerleader outfits were on his Kimmie-cub, but he'd recovered quickly when he noticed his daughter looking directly at him while she smiled and waved her pom-pom at him. He smiled as he leaned over a little towards Gene.

"You didn't tell me Ron was already starting, Gene."

Gene smiled. "Didn't know myself, to be honest. I think Ronald might have forgotten to mention to me or Jeanette."

"Probably just excited about it," remarked James. "How do you think he'll do?"

The elder Stoppable just grinned. "As long as he does his best, I wouldn't care if he's the worst player in history. Though I do suspect those Wildcat players are about to get a good conditioning workout."

**…**  
**…**

Ron bit down on his mouthpiece as he took up his position in the backfield. In his mind, a mantra he'd developed while playing in high school was already going.

_Just like avoiding henchmen. Just like avoiding henchmen._

"Blue! 42! Blue 42! Set…Hut! Hut!"

In one fluid motion, Vinnie countered out from under center, faking to Nate before planting the ball in Ron's stomach in a perfect handoff. Ron took off as fast as his legs could carry him, slowing up just enough to let a defenseman over-pursue. Then, behind an essential block from Daniels, he cut up field, looking for the seam that would mean open field lay ahead. As he did, Ron could almost picture the red and white of the Upperton uniforms shifting over to the dark red of Drakken's henchmen or the gray of Dementor's flunkies. Dodging left and right, he ducked under more than one pair of outstretched arms. He was very nearly free when a pair of beefy hands managed to get a hold of his shoulder pads. Thinking quickly, Ron planted his feet, braking instantly in a complete stop for a split second and letting the would-be-tackler's momentum pull him out of position. The minute Ron felt the guy's grip loosening, he fired the jets back up, dashing forward and breaking the hold. The rest of the field was merely a foot race, and it was clear after the fifty that no one else was going to touch him. That didn't stop Ron from dashing the whole way, but it made for one spectacular play that left every supporter of G.V.U. dumbfounded yet cheering.

**…**  
**…**

Up in the booth, two commentators were trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

"And Stoppable will score! TOUCHDOWN, GUARDIANS! On the first play from scrimmage, Stoppable goes all the way!"

"Rick, I'm in awe here! Did the laws of physics suddenly not apply there for a few seconds?"

"I don't know, Wally. Guardian fans, I don't know how, but after it looked like Stoppable would go down after only seven yards, he pulled what I can only describe as a complete breach of Newton's Laws of Motion by going from top speed to a complete stop and back to even greater speed, all in the span of about two seconds! Upperton Wildcat linebacker Heath Sampson, who had Stoppable practically wrapped up and on his way down, can't believe it either! A sure tackle turned into an eighty-eight yard dash for the Guardian's first score of the season! I'll tell you, Wally, if this is what Stoppable is capable of, I hate to think what kind of day these Wildcats are in for."

"Forget Upperton, Rick. Think about what the rest of the nation and the college record books are in for! We may have another potential candidate for the Heisman on the field. Daniels is already on that list, and after today, I wouldn't be surprised if Stoppable starts making a case for his own candidacy."

**…**  
**…**

As she watched Ron scamper for the score, Kim couldn't help but laugh to herself. Apart from the missing flailing arms, she'd seen that style of running more times than she could count. As he crossed the goal line and the G.V.U. band and cheer squad started in on the customary celebration, she made an amused mental note to ask which villain's henchmen he was seeing the other team as. As the cheer ended, Emily leaned over and smiled.

"If he's that fast, how in the world do you keep up with him?" she said with a laugh as she noticed Ron looking over at them from the bench and giving Kim a smile and a thumbs-up.

Kim giggled. "Simple. I know how to get him to stop running away and run towards me."

**…**  
**…**

Over on the bench, Ron did his best to hide his anger at Daniels as he thanked his teammate. "Thanks for the block, man. Wouldn't have made it more than a few yards without it."

Dack did not return the young man's smile. "Just doing my job, Freshman. And don't go getting any delusions of grandeur, Stoppable. I've been here three years longer than you, and I'm still the big man on this team."

Vinnie grit his teeth. "Daniels, don't even start on that. And don't you dare try anything out there."

"And what if I do?" the senior sneered.

"Hey, c'mon guys, we're all on the same team here," Ron interjected. "Besides, I can't do that every play, and Devereaux knows that. I'm sure he's gonna call your number too, Dack."

"Whatever," was all Dack replied with as he left the bench and returned to the sidelines.

"Losing battle there, Ron," Vinnie said with a grimace. "Trust me, I know. I've been trying to make friends with him for three years now, and he still thinks of the rest of us as his little supporting cast. Just play your game, and let him do what he will."

Ron nodded as he stared at Daniels back. He hadn't told anyone apart from his friends and Allison what had happened Thursday evening, and this wasn't the time to bring it up. But he did find himself wishing he hadn't stopped Allison's plan to coat the jerk's jock strap with Icy-Hot. As he replaced his helmet on his head, he made a mental note to give her the go-ahead the next time he saw her.

The rest of the game was pretty much all Guardians, although the scoreboard showed a much closer game. Part of that had to do with some miscommunications between Vinnie and the O-line that led to a couple of pretty hard sacks and fumbles for the Guardian quarterback inside their own thirty. Although Brissart, Tretiov, and the Guardian defense battled valiantly, playing defense on such a short field is no easy task, and both series ended in touchdowns for the Wildcats. It would have been a third as well, but Nate scooped up the loose ball that popped out in the third quarter at the last second, taking it all the way down to the Upperton forty-one before being dragged to the ground.

Ron didn't have any more big runs like his first, but he still turned in some very respectable twenty-plus yard scampers. It would have been farther, but after his initial dash, the Upperton defense put a spy back on him, and unluckily it happened to be Heath Sampson. The Upperton linebacker evidently hated being made a fool of, because the rest of his tackles on Ron probably could have pushed the boundaries of unnecessary roughness had they been any more brutal. After one particularly vicious hit, Ron got up with his helmet turned slightly to the side and his facemask stuffed with grass-and-dirt chunks. After that one, Devereaux sat him for the next series to give the young man a bit of a breather.

Ron noticed that for his part, Dack Daniels seemed like man shot out of hell for the rest of the game. Several of the slot-back's carries were more bulldozing efforts that punished would-be tacklers and blockers who got in his way than any sort of dodging, juking scamper the blonde was pulling off. Once or twice, he actually shoulder-blocked Ron out of the way, sending the blonde crashing to the ground as he plowed into the defense. Seeing this gave Ron an idea, and he walked up to Devereaux and made his suggestion. The grizzled coach smiled, and called the offense together to explain the next play.

**…**  
**…**

Kim couldn't help but smile as the game progressed. By her reckoning, Ron had already racked up over two hundred yards rushing, and the game wasn't quite over yet. Her smile was made even bigger by the fact that the rest of the squad had opted during half-time to pull out the old Middleton chant of "Go Un-Stoppable". She glanced over at him, a grin on her face as she watched him grabbing a cup of sports drink from the football team's cooler. She still felt that it wasn't necessary for a cheerleader to "date a jock", but she had to admit that knowing she was with a guy who was the rising star of yet another football team was a nice stroking for her ego.

However, one thing was bothering her. Like Monique, she was worried that Dack Daniels was going to attempt something underhanded during the game. So far he hadn't tried anything, but that didn't stop Kim from worrying about her man as he kept running behind the larger player's blocks. As the team headed out on the field, she noticed something off about the way that Daniels was walking, and right before the players settled into position, she saw it. Ron was talking to Vinnie, so she was sure he didn't see it, but Dack made a gesture of firing at Ron's back. Her senses quickly went on full alert, but unfortunately there was nothing she could do. As the play began, she waited with nervous, bated breath for what the senior slot back was about to try.

_I swear, Ron, if he hurts you…_

**…**  
**…**

"Well, Wally, with the score 38-28 and less than two minutes left, it looks like the game is the Guardians' to lose now. Ball is on the Guardian thirty-two, and G.V.U. is coming out once more in the tried and true Slot-I formation that's been so good to them all game long. Both Stoppable and Daniels are leading the pack with just over 200 yards apiece, and Highland looks like a one-man wrecking crew, registering at least fifteen pancake blocks today alone while adding in almost a hundred punishing yards of his own."

"I agree, Rick. Daniels and Stoppable are almost like thunder and lightning in their different styles of running, with Dack being his usual crashing self while Stoppable dashes in and out and avoids like quicksilver. Upperton tried covering him with a spy back, but that hasn't appeared to have any effect on his evasiveness, even with the spy back being the player considered best in the conference at it, Heath Sampson. Though I feel I do need to point out that Sampson hasn't made it easy on the freshman. He's showing the young man just what it means to play full-out, smash-mouth college football."

"Agreed on that. Okay, James is up under center. There's the snap, and it looks like a handoff to Stoppable. Highland is plowing the road, but wait…something appears wrong. The line has collapsed, and Stoppable's quickly running out of room. There's a surge from the strong side where Daniels was, and…Wally, it appears Daniels is actually _helping_ the defense? He's barreling into the backfield, and…ouch, that one had to hurt as he sends one of the Wildcats flying, creating a hole a mile wide. Stoppable sees it, and he takes off, heading down field before he's hit hard by all three Upperton linebackers. But what's this…Wally, Stoppable doesn't have the ball!"

"No, he doesn't Rick! Heading down the other side of the field, it's Dack Daniels! All he's got to do is beat the safeties…ouch! That young man's going to feel that tomorrow. All alone, Daniels will score! TOUCHDOWN, GUARDIANS!"

"Man, Wally, I don't know if that was a botched play or planned that way, but that will be the stake in the heart of these Wildcats! The play appeared to be going nowhere, but somehow Stoppable slipped the ball to Daniels, and the big senior leaves a path of destruction as he takes it all the way in for the score."

"I tell you, Rick, what impresses me most about this young man is his willingness to share the glory. I mean, we know he's always been like that on his missions with his girlfriend, Kim Possible, but he's showing us today that it's not just an act. If he takes that and runs it himself, he snatches up a two-hundred fifty yard game, but instead he passes the achievement off to his teammate for the touchdown. This young man is a true class act, I tell ya."

"Agreed. After that last run, Daniels has eclipsed the three hundred yard mark, an impressive feat for the senior, and he appears completely pumped about his performance. After the extra point, the game is all but over as the Guardians lead 45-28 with less than thirty seconds to go. And there is the celebratory dumping of the cooler over Devereaux's head, and he couldn't look happier to be soaked. Wildcats have one final play, but Brissart is all over it with a solid tackle. And this one's in the books! Final score: Global Vanguard U. Guardians 45, Upperton U. Wildcats 28. Wally Spear, who's your Offensive Spear of the Game?"

"Well, Rick, I wish I could give two, because Stoppable really put on a show out there. But I'm going to have to go with the better numbers and give it to senior Dack Daniels. This young man just could not be stopped today, crashing over, around, and through the Wildcat defense. And Rick Shield, who would be your Defensive Shield of the Game?"

"I'm going to have to give it to sophomore cornerback Viktor Tretiov. Eight tackles, numerous deflections, and one interception when the Wildcats were threatening inside the twenty all add up to a true defensive stopper of a performance by the young man from St. Petersburg, Russia. So, Guardian fans, we're going to take a short break, and we'll be right back with the 'Shield & Spear Wrap-Up' right after this. Again, final score, G.V.U. 45, Upperton U. 28. You're listening to GSN, Guardian Sports Network."

**…**  
**…**

As Ron showered and dressed, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. First game of his college career, and he'd helped his team pull off a major victory. The congratulations kept coming from his teammates, but most of them were being tuned out now. As he worked his right arm under the hot water of the shower, he couldn't help but feel in the back of his mind that something was off. It had started with the tackle where Sampson had managed to twist his helmet, but it had only been a minor thing then. Now his arm had a slightly more noticeable numbness to it. However, he hadn't said anything to any of the trainers because it felt like it was only going to be a bruise, something he'd dealt with many times on missions with Kim. However, he did make a mental note to switch his Kimmunicator over to his left wrist, just in case they had a situation come up that required using the device's grappling hook function.

"Hey, Stoppable, you okay man?" asked Tretiov as he started up his own shower.

"Yeah, just a little sore. Personally would have preferred a few rounds with Monkey Fist over the day Sampson just put me through."

His teammate nodded his understanding. "I hear ya. Scouts are saying he'll probably go in the first round of the draft next year. So, you going to the celebration party tonight over at the Pit?"

The Pit was a local dance club that often catered to students wanting to celebrate in more rowdy ways than the campus PD would allow. Kim and Ron had been dancing there a couple times since the semester started, but had yet to attend a party there. Neither one of them were really big into the frat-party style that celebrations at the Pit often became. In fact, it was rare to find a party there that didn't include at least three or four kegs.

Ron shook his head. "I would, but yesterday was my birthday, and since today was the game KP and I decided to hold off on the celebration until tonight. Plus, neither one of us are really into that sort of thing."

"That's cool, man. Still, you ought to swing by for at least a few minutes, just to get your congratulations."

Ron smiled. "We'll see. Partly depends on what KP wants to do. Might be my birthday, but she gets a say in it too."

As he exited the locker room, he found Kim waiting there for him. Much as he tried to hide it, she definitely noticed when he flinched as she hugged him tight.

"Alright, Ron, spill. What's hurting?"

His smile was as big as ever. "Just the normal stuff, KP. Promise."

Her eyes told him she wasn't totally convinced, but she let it slide. "C'mon, Daddy and your dad came to the game, and they said they wanted to see us for a bit before they head back to Middleton."

Lacing fingers, they headed out into the concourse area just outside the main gates of the stadium. Thankfully, most of the crowd and press had already left, as Ron wasn't looking forward to any repercussions of his performance. They found the fathers waiting near the ticket office, both of them wearing huge smiles on their faces.

"Good game, son," Gene said as he patted Ron on the back.

"I agree, Ronald," James added as he shook the young man's hand.

"Thanks, Dad, Mr. Dr. P. I'm just glad it's over."

"I'll bet," replied James. "That Sampson boy didn't seem to like you very much."

Ron smiled. "Actually, he was pretty nice outside the whistles. Actually helped me up a few times."

Kim grinned. "You have that affect on people, Ronnie. They can't help but like you. And I have to say that G.V.U. uniform made you look rather handsome."

"Speaking of uniforms," James began, "Kimmie-cub, why didn't you warn me about the one you wear?"

Kim looked at her father apologetically. "Sorry, Daddy, I couldn't. Today's the first time those uniforms have seen the public, and Coach Williams said we were supposed to keep them under wraps. I didn't even tell Ron about them."

Ron nodded. "She's right, Mr. Dr. P., she didn't." In his mind he also added, _And I think I might have matched you in what my reaction to them was, though I'm sure my view of her was different than yours._

They talked for a few more minutes before the fathers bade them goodbye, Gene wishing his son a Happy Birthday. He also reminded Ron and Kim about the family party the next day at the Stoppable house, and both of them promised they'd be there. As he and James headed for the car, Kim turned towards her fiancé and grinned.

"So, any ideas for where to go for your birthday?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Maybe one or two, but a couple of them involve heading down into Denver."

Kim smiled. "Well, just remember that Monique's only agreed to be gone until 3:00 AM."

"Gone?" he said confusedly, but then the light went on. "Ohhh…well, maybe we could find a steakhouse here in town."

Kim shook her head and laughed. "You're curious what I've got planned, aren't you?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's badical," he whispered as he gave her a melting kiss that left her a little light headed.

"Boo Yeah," she responded as they headed towards the Sloth with their hands in each other's back pockets.

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are more than appreciated, they're highly encouraged. :)

Oh, and if you want to know what all the acronyms mean, send me a message and I'll send the translations.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N

Chapter 11 is up and running!

Kim and Ron celebrate Ron's birthday with a little fun, and Kim reveals not one, but two surprises for her love!

A pair of villains begin to bring their plans together, and their main objective is finally revealed!

Kim and Ron have a heart to heart talk about certain aspects of their relationship, and Ron reveals why he knows what he knows...

During his search for Sheila's parents, Wade makes a startling discovery that shakes his faith in certain allies.

Kim and Ron's mother have a talk about coming events, and Kim finds out she has a big challenge ahead of her. Then she and Ron make a disturbing discovery.

And finally, an organization's plans are starting to come together, but not all is progressing as it should. And it's all due to a certain key player who may not be all she appears to be...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

**_****SPECIAL NOTE: Be forewarned, this chapter pushes the "T" rating a bit. If you think it might need to be changed, let me know._**

* * *

"So, any ideas for where to go for your birthday?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Maybe one or two, but a couple of them involve heading down into Denver."

Kim smiled. "Well, just remember that Monique's only agreed to be gone until 3:00 AM."

"Gone?" he said confusedly, but then the light went on. "Ohhh…well, maybe we could find a steakhouse here in town."

Kim shook her head and laughed. "You're curious what I've got planned, aren't you?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's badical," he whispered as he gave her a melting kiss that left her a little light headed.

"Boo Yeah," she responded as they headed towards the Sloth with their hands in each other's back pockets.

As luck would have it, they found a decent priced, quality steak and rib restaurant not too far from the campus, a place known as The Chophouse Grill. At Kim's insistence the entire tab came out of her account, her main reasoning being that since they were celebrating Ron's birthday he shouldn't have to pay. Ron of course objected at first, especially considering how much Kim had spent on the Phoenix, but one look in her green eyes told the young man this was a battle she was not about to let him win. He consented, and tried to do so only partly by not ordering anything too expensive, but Kim saw through him and put a stop to it pretty quickly, pulling out a weapon he had resisted only once.

"Ronnie, this is for your birthday. Please let me treat you," she said as her eyes grew bigger and her bottom lip popped out.

Ron shook his head and smiled, knowing he was beat. "Alright, KP, you win. Just put away the Puppy Dog Pout, okay?"

Instantly the frown flipped right-side up into a smile. "But don't think I won't use it again tonight if I have too, Ron. It's your birthday, and I'm going to make sure you have a good time. Speaking of which, do you want to drop by the Pit for a few minutes after we eat? A couple of the other girls on the cheer squad were asking if we were going."

Ron sighed a bit. "To tell the truth, KP, I'd rather just spend tonight with you if that's okay."

She grinned. "Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be? And to tell the truth, I was kind of hoping that'd be what you wanted to do. And even though it's your birthday, I do have one request."

"What's that?" he replied with a smile.

"Stay with me again tonight. In my room, I mean."

Ron nodded, but he also eyed her a little bit. "I was hoping you'd say that. But you realize that tomorrow night we need to go back to spending the night apart again, right?"

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Fine. But for tonight, things will go a lot smoother if we don't have to worry about getting you back to your room before you fall asleep." She winked sexily at him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're not going to want to leave."

When their food came out, a medium-well ribeye for her and a juicy medium porterhouse for him, they both dove in hungrily. As they ate, Kim was tempted to bring up a topic that was bothering her, but she was hesitant to talk about something like that during a time they were supposed to be celebrating Ron's birthday. Still, she couldn't keep it from scratching at the back of her mind. Evidently though, her face was showing her thoughts, because Ron fixed her with a concerned but loving look.

"Something wrong, KP?" he said with a smile.

"No," she replied, but after a minute, "Well, yes. I just…Ron I'd rather not talk about it when we're supposed to be having a good time."

Ron reached over and placed his hand on hers. "Kim, please tell me. You know I'm not going to be able to enjoy this if I know something's bothering you."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Ron, I almost made the biggest mistake in the world Thursday night."

"But you didn't, KP, and we got through it," Ron said with a smile.

"Yeah, but Ronnie, what does that say about us? I mean, if you think about it, that same thing happened last year when Bonnie kissed you during that whole Homecoming fiasco. I had no trouble trusting you then, so why did I jump the conclusion this time?" As she spoke, her eyes began to shimmer.

Ron's smile only grew warmer. "KP, I understand it because I know how it must have looked. The minute you spoke up, I was instantly hoping it wasn't you speaking, even though I knew it was. I don't blame you one bit for seeing it the way you did. Did it hurt, yes; but I never once blamed you for reacting that way."

Kim smiled softly. "Ronnie, I really don't deserve you."

This time it was Ron who shook his head, grinning the whole time. "And I've told you a million times that you've got that backwards, KP. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

Kim felt a swelling of love for him, as well as a sudden urge to get the young man alone, and glanced down at her still half-uneaten dinner. Then she turned her gaze back towards those chocolate brown eyes she adored so much. "Ronnie, what would you say to us getting the rest of this to go?"

Ron smiled and motioned to his own plate. "I would agree except that I've already cleared up most of mine. And I know you aren't fond of re-heated steaks. Besides, I'd like a few more minutes of seeing you in the glow of this light."

She laughed at the way he phrased it. "Ron, it's just normal restaurant lighting."

The blonde let out one of those goofy grins she loved so much. "KP, they could put the most unflattering light in the world on you and I'd still think you were the most beautiful thing on the planet."

The red-head blushed. "Alright, Mr. Romance, but you know if we stay I'm going to want to get a piece of that Double Fudge White Chocolate Cake with Raspberry sauce they have on the dessert menu."

"With two spoons?" Ron supplied.

"Of course," she said with a wink and an air kiss in his direction.

Once they'd finished the dessert and Kim had paid the tab, they headed back out to the Sloth and back to their dorm. When they arrived, they found that Monique had been true to her word and made herself scarce. A note that the young woman left confirmed it, and also stated that she'd most likely be gone until the next afternoon. It also suggested a few things the couple could do to keep themselves occupied in her absence. Kim was slightly embarrassed by some of the suggestions, but only slightly since some of the things it mentioned she was already contemplating doing with Ron that night. But first there was the surprise she'd planned for him.

"C'mon, KP, how about a hint?" he said as she led him into her room.

"You've already got all the hints you're going to get," she replied as she placed a scorcher of a kiss across his lips.

It immediately had the desired effect of putting the young man in a pleasant daze. She giggled as he sat back on her bed, a dreamy look to both his smile and his eyes. She quickly pulled a bundle out of one of her drawers and headed into the bathroom to change. As she slipped on the outfit she'd acquired, she wondered what his reaction would be. Once the ensemble was complete, she glanced at herself in the mirror, hoping she'd gotten all the details right. More importantly, she wondered if he'd like the way she'd spiced up the ensemble. Slipping out of the bathroom, she paused just out of sight just outside her doorway.

"Ronnie?"

"Yeah, KP?" he said as she heard him get up off the bed.

"No, wait there. Before I come in, there are a few things you have to understand. One, I'm not going to do this every time. Two, I'm really nervous about what you're going to think. And finally, if you ever tell anyone else about this, I'll personally help Daddy fit you for that black hole space suit he keeps threatening you with. Understand?"

She heard him settle back on the bed. "KP, whatever you've got planned, I'm sure I'm going to love it. And you know I'd never tell anyone about something like this unless you wanted me to."

"Okay," she said with a small smile, and stepped into view.

Ron's mouth immediately dropped open at the sight before him. Kim had definitely pulled a surprise on him, because although he sometimes fantasized about this, he'd never once expected her to ever do it. As he stared at her, he couldn't help an excited intake of breath. Kim stood there in a very sexy replica of a Ferret Girl costume, her red hair spilling out the back, the outfit fitting her not too tight but still snugly enough to be very sexy. However, she'd also made a few modifications, as it wasn't a full body covering. The red-head had added a few very revealing cut-outs so that her sides, stomach, neck, and back were exposed, and had trimmed closely around the areas where her bra and underwear would be. In fact, the only things connecting the top of the outfit to the bottom were a pair of two-inch-wide straps, one in front and one in back. The legs she'd cut off completely, and the arms had been removed to the point that her skin shown from her shoulders to just past her elbow, ending in a pair of very sexy looking gloves. Ron couldn't help but think that it was the type of thing one might find in an adult costume shop, and it made his mouth water and feel dry at the same time.

"Do you like it?" she asked nervously, the whiskers of the mask tickling her nose a bit.

"Badical Boo Yeah," he whispered, and Kim noted with a giggle that he was salivating noticeably.

"Good," she said seductively as she slid over towards him, deliberately swaying her hips in a way she knew he liked.

Slowly, she removed his shirt, using the soft velvet she'd made the gloves out of to gently stroke his chest. The responsive look on his face about drove her wild with desire, but she kept her mind focused on making sure he enjoyed himself.

"So, uh, can I ask something?" he said as his breathing quickened a little under her ministrations.

"What?" she whispered softly as she nibbled on his neck.

"Umm, how…how did you manage to make this?"

She smiled and continued her attentions. "I went by Timothy North's house and borrowed the actual one from him to copy the design. Then Monique gave me some suggestions on how to alter it so it'd be a bit sexier on me." She kissed him gently on his chest a few times. "And before you ask, yes, this is what I was hiding from you on the last trip we made to my house."

His grin spoke volumes. "Gotta say, KP, this is a badical birthday present. Although, I would make one change."

She cocked a desiring eyebrow at him. "And that would be?"

He reached up slowly and pulled the mask gently up and over her head, taking care not to catch any of her hair as he removed it from the hole in the back of the hood. "I'd rather see your beautiful face," he said as he kissed her gently.

That small kiss immediately set them both off. What had started off as a slow seduction quickly turned into a full-force make-out session, both of them with their hands roaming and searching hungrily. To Kim's delight, Ron's hands needed no coaxing this time to find her chest, and he massaged her there softly for several minutes, kissing her neck tenderly. After only a few seconds like that, however, he pulled back, and gently turned her around so that he could have easier contact from behind. Slowly, he guided her hair around and over her left shoulder, giving him full access to the back of her neck. There he planted several soft kisses, her aroused moans and tilting of her head confirming that she definitely liked what he was doing. At the same time, one of his arms slid slowly under hers to resume the gentle rubbing of her stomach and chest while the other stayed behind to give her back a slow, sensual massage.

"Ron," she said in between heated breaths, "tonight's supposed to be about you enjoying yourself, not me having a good time."

She felt him smile against the back of her neck. "Are you enjoying yourself, KP?" he whispered as he continued to kiss her there, adding a few to the curve where her neck met her right shoulder.

"Mmhmm," she managed to reply, though it certainly wasn't easy with Ron distracting her the way he was.

"Then so am I," he answered with a soft, tender suckling on her earlobe. "One thing…you need…to know…is that I…enjoy…the idea…of turning you on."

"Mmmm…okay," was the only response she could manage as her bottom lip involuntarily went between her teeth.

They went like that for another hour or so, with him continuously kissing and massaging her on almost all of her exposed skin. He even planted a few soft, lingering kisses right at the dip where the top of her outfit dipped between her breasts, causing her to writhe slowly in pleasure. However, that action also had the added effect of pulling Kim's head back in the game, and she quickly took charge, gently pushing him back on the bed so she could resume her tending of him. Climbing on top of him, she started a soft, feathery trail of kisses at his neck just below his right ear that traced down the side to his chest and then back up to the identical spot under his left ear. Then she captured his mouth with her own, her tongue gently contending with his as they danced inside his mouth.

Sitting up gently but still straddling across his legs, she gazed at him with loving eyes. "Ron, I want to do something, but I'm a little bit…nervous about it. So don't freak out if I panic after I do it."

Ron smiled, gently pulling himself up so that his upper back and neck were supported by the headboard of her bed. "No problem, KP. Just remember what I've said before, about how I don't want to rush you into anything you're not ready for."

Kim nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay," she said softly.

Slowly, she reached behind her, and undid the strap there that connected the top of the outfit to the bottom. Then, even slower, her hands came around front and did the same to the single strap on the front that performed the identical function. Then, changing her mind about how she wanted to proceed, she turned slowly around so that her back was to him.

Ron put his hands lightly on her arms and pulled her close enough that she was leaning back on his chest a little. "KP, I'm serious. If you're not ready, you don't have to do this."

Kim barely shook her head, just enough to be noticeable. When she spoke, there was timid quality to her voice that he found both new and unnerving, and yet oddly arousing. "It's not that Ron. I want to do this, but I'm just nervous, okay? I know you've seen me before by accident, but this time it's going be fully intentional. And I'm going to see what your real reaction to me is, not one that's a cover-up to keep things from getting weird."

Ron couldn't fully contain a very small, quiet laugh. "And what makes you think that I'm going to think you are any less than the beautiful woman I've always seen you as?" he asked as he gently kissed her cheek.

She smiled a little at his reassurance, and slowly removed her top. She heard Ron's appreciative gasp when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra underneath, and felt a couple of his fingers trace the curves of her back in a graceful manner. Placing one arm over her breasts, she turned slowly back around.

"Ron, put your hands on my shoulders. And look me in the face until I tell you, okay?"

He complied, smiling that loving smile of his. She stared at those caring brown orbs for a few minutes, drawing on the strength and love she saw there. Then, taking one more deep breath, she placed her hands under his arms, exposing her nervousness as she did so. Then, before she could second-guess herself anymore, she went for it, pinning her lips to his as she guided him on to his back on the bed, her bare chest melting with his. The feeling of closeness was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced, and the kisses that followed were fierce and tender at the same time, completely saturated with the love they felt for each other. They stayed like that for several minutes before she pulled back and nodded, granting him access to the view she offered.

Ron's grin as his eyes roamed over her exposed curves grew wider as each second passed. "KP, I take it back. You're not just beautiful—you're an absolutely one-hundred-percent stunning stone cold fox."

She couldn't help the quip that followed. "Well, I was pegged as a Blue Fox in the Animology quiz we took in 9th grade."

Ron's eyes cocked in a confident smirk, and his goofy grin got even wider. "And they say I'm the one who jokes at odd times."

Kim answered him with another kiss that melted sensually between their lips. As they came up for air, she gazed lovingly at him.

"So I take it you like the second part of your birthday gift?" she said with a warm smile.

"Badical," the blonde replied with another appreciative gaze at her body.

She smiled a little and gave a little bit of a dismissive shrug. "Acceptable, though not what I was expecting."

He grinned, planting several kisses on her newly exposed flesh, soft touches that caused her to shiver in delight at each loving contact between her skin and her love's lips. "And what were you expecting exactly?"

"Oh, I think you know," she said as she returned the favor by placing her lips all over his bare chest. "Something along the lines of…" She captured his lips again, their tongues performing an intricate routine that would turn most professional dance companies envious.

"Boo Yeah," they said simultaneously.

* * *

Bates poured over the ancient book that D.N. Amy's Cataconda had just returned with. The more he read about this legendary creature his master had gotten involved with, the less he liked the situation. It wasn't that he disapproved of his lord's search for power—no, that part he understood perfectly. What worried Bates was that based on what he was reading, the former English lord had completely ignored all warnings against the use of this Dark Destroyer as an ally. Even the more shadowy texts that Bates and Amy had acquired which advocated darker paths towards reaching one's goals advised extreme caution and discretion when dealing with the ancient power, and several suggested using the path only as a last resort. For Bates's employer to have resorted to that length to obtain more power was a truly awe-inspiring feat that Bates had never dreamed his master capable of. Glancing over at the other side of D.N. Amy's lab, he saw the rogue geneticist tinkering with the latest reinvention of her Genetic Zipper. Rising from his seat at the desk he'd been using, he walked over to her side and gazed at the computer screen she'd been staring at for the past several hours.

"How goes it, milady? Have you had any marketable success?"

D.N. Amy shoulders sagged. "No. I can't get any sort of sample that would be worth the risk of obtaining it. We don't have any other choice, it looks like."

With that, she pressed a button on the control panel, causing one of the chambers to open, revealing a statue of a man apparently frozen in time. He held the same pose he had when Team Possible had watched him sink into the earth nearly six months earlier, his features twisted in defiance and his simian-like hands raised as if he were trying to stop something from coming at him. On the back of his slightly higher right hand was an image of a monkey in lotus position surrounded by a circle and mystical symbols. It had not been easy, but Bates and the monkey ninjas had managed to obtain Monkey Fist's stone-encased form shortly after the United Nations ceremony where the former Dr. Drakken had received his medal. It still confused the butler how the statue had made its way from buried in the ground of a secret ninja school atop a mountain in Japan all the way to the internationally controlled grounds of the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, New York, but he had passed it off as good fortune.

"Well, the monkey ninjas already obtained the soil from the Dark Temple's current location," Bates replied. "And we also have the Amulet of Shangorilla from the master's private collection of artifacts."

"And don't forget the Vizier's Dagger of Chimpanzania that my Orangupi just retrieved from the Athens War Museum in Greece. According to what we have read, that piece is vital to this as well. If we didn't have it, Cuddle Monkey would be stuck as a servant of that horrible Yono-beastie forever."

"Of course, madam," Bates replied with a condescending smile. "I do wish you would have sent something a little less conspicuous after the dagger, however. Once the news of the break-in airs, that blasted tech genius of Team Possible's is going to put two and two together and realize what we're up to."

D.N. Amy smiled mysteriously. "And that's why it's a good thing I've been setting up a new base for us these past few weeks, one in a location neither he nor I ever used even once. And once we've freed him, it'll become mine and Cuddle Monkey's little love nest."

Bates couldn't resist the retching in his throat, though he hid it from his accomplice-of-convenience with a well-timed cough. If he knew his master, the man would have no intentions of settling down with the overly-bubbly, bespectacled woman, regardless of what part she played in his return to the world of mortals.

* * *

Kim awoke the next morning thankful it was Sunday, and even more thankful that she wasn't at home in Middleton or up in Montana. If she'd been either place, she would have been forced out of bed and off to church or Temple. But since she wasn't she could continue to lie contentedly in the arms of the man she loved. As she looked up at him, she smiled. Ron was still fast asleep, and judging by the 8:00 AM hour, would probably remain that way for at least another hour or two. She grinned as she felt his chest rise and fall beneath her head, the slow and steady rhythm a gentle metronome that would put her back to sleep if she were to relax and let it happen.

The night before had taken a lot more planning than she had anticipated, including the small payoff of a future favor for her BFF, but the results and Ron's reaction had been well worth it. Although they had done nothing beyond their normal touching, kissing, and massaging of each other, the removal of her bra from the equation had been a welcome nuance to the sitch. And once again, Ron had proved to have an unusually sound knowledge of how to handle and kiss her breasts in just the right way to bring sighs of intense pleasure out of her, and Kim found herself wondering just where he had picked up that particular skill. She vaguely remembered making a mental note about asking him about it during the summer, when he'd first shown his prowess on the matter, but the thought had been pushed almost out of the back of her mind until last night. Now, she found herself really wanting to know. She made a definitive mental note to ask him about it later that day, perhaps before he extricated himself from the bed.

A familiar yawn brought her back to the moment, and she glanced up to see his warm, chocolate-brown eyes gazing sleepily at her. She smiled, and cuddled up closer to him.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" he said with another yawn.

"No," she replied with a contented smile. "I was just thinking."

"Bout what, KP?" he asked as he stretched a little.

"Ronnie, do you mind if I ask something? Something you might be uncomfortable answering?"

He placed his arm back around her and fixed her with a quizzical look. "Uhh…okay. What's up?"

She smiled. "Ron, I don't know if you know this, but you're very good at what you do."

"What I do?" he said confusedly.

She smiled, and looked at him with one eye closed. "Ron, where'd you learn how to handle my breasts?"

He suddenly got a very nervous look to his face. "Umm…well…"

She leaned up and kissed him. "Tell me. Please?"

His nervousness continued to grow. "Umm…that is…"

_Okay, you asked for it,_ she thought with a smile. She pushed her bottom lip out, and made her eyes as big as she possibly could.

"Pwease, Ronnie," she said in the cutest voice she could manage. "Tell me. I pwomise I won't get mad."

"Hey, no fair pulling out the PDP _and_ the voice," he complained. "But…umm…okay. Do you remember the Neutronalizer mission?"

"When our brains got switched?" Kim replied a little confused. Then she giggled as she caught on. "Ron, what did you do?" she said with a smile on her face.

His nervousness continued to climb. "Well…umm…it was the first time I'd seen you…your breasts, I mean…without you covering them up immediately. So I…umm…did a little bit of…umm…exploring?"

Kim grinned and laughed. "And you found out what it felt good to do, right?"

"Yeah," he replied. Then he quickly added, "But I swear, KP, I never went downstairs."

The red-head kissed him again. "It's okay, Ron. To be completely honest, I wasn't exactly the good girl when I was in your body either. I didn't 'explore' as you put it, but I didn't ignore it either." Then she thought of something. "Ron, that happened almost three years before we got together. Why did you…"

"Hold on to the information?" he finished for her, his nervousness dissipating while a sad little smile formed on his face. "Because I was already in love with you at that point. And I had been for quite a while."

Kim's eyes went wide. "But you never said anything. And you kept going after Amelia and those other girls."

His eyes drifted a little. "That was because I didn't want to upset you or ruin our friendship. KP, you were crushing hard on Josh at that time, and I made the decision several years ago to do whatever it took to make sure you were happy, even if I wasn't. That's why I was so unsure how to react to you during the whole Moodulator sitch. Suddenly, my wildest dream was coming true, but it came at me from out of nowhere, so I didn't know how to respond to it. Then, when it turned out to be all due to that little device, it broke my heart, but again, I wanted you to be happy first so I didn't say anything beyond asking if you thought there really was something between us. Then that whole Zorpox thing happened, along with the awk-weirdness of us going to my cousin Reuben's wedding together, and I figured the two of us as a couple was just going to have to stay a dream."

Kim frowned as she put two and two together. "So that's why you reacted the way you did when I started going out with that…_thing_ that Drakken sent after me. Ron, why didn't you tell me about this?"

He smiled at her. "Because you were happy, KP. And that's all that mattered to me. It was all that mattered then, and it's all that matters now. The difference though is that now I get to be the one who makes you happy instead of watching from the sidelines."

She grinned. "And I'll tell you something, Ronald Stoppable, something I don't want you to ever forget. I'm happier with you now than I ever was with any of those other guys."

She kissed him again—a slow, lingering kiss intended to put all of Ron's doubts and worries to rest. After another hour or so of just lying there cuddling and enjoying each other's company, they spent the rest of the morning going about a normal routine. Kim nearly suggested a dual-shower, but decided against it about five seconds before she brought it up. Besides the fact that it would have been rather cramped in the small bathtub that accommodated her and Monique's Unit, she wasn't quite ready to voluntarily show him everything. When she came out, one towel wrapped around her body while she used another on her hair, the most delicious smells began enticing her nose. Glancing into the kitchen area of the Unit, she found her man working a pan and a skillet on the two-burner efficiency stove.

"Smells good," she commented as she dried her hair. "Mind if I ask what's cooking?"

Ron smiled at her over his shoulder. "Boiled eggs and some sausage. And there's some toast in the toaster. All we had downstairs."

She blinked in surprise. "You went down to your room and came back up? How'd you manage that?"

He inclined his head towards the key hooks the girls had installed near the front door. "Borrowed your keys for a bit. Also had to check on how Rufus was doing, and leave him some breakfast." He laughed a little. "Actually found the little guy crashed out near the keyboard of my computer with Everlot going on the screen and some of Max's Swiss cheese rolls nearby. Can you believe he's already at level eighty-five on that thing?"

Kim smiled and came up behind him, holding on to his sides and laying her head on his back. She would have wrapped her arms around him completely, but it had only taken one incident of scalded arms during their first summer together to show her that that wasn't a wise course of action when he was going in the kitchen. So she contented herself after that to merely curling her arms and placing her hands on his sides whenever he was working at the stove.

"Ron, I have to ask something. Do you think I was moving too fast last night?"

She felt him shake his head. "No, KP, I don't. If you'd wanted to go further than we normally do, maybe I would have said yes, but I don't think last night was too fast at all. Just…"

"What?" she said as his hesitation.

He set down the spatula he was tending the sausage patties with and turned around towards her, a smile on his face as he embraced her. "Just give me a bit to get used to it before you take it further, okay?"

"Deal," she replied as he kissed her.

* * *

Wade sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Andy Lipsky had given him a lot of information about the phone call that Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey had made to Hego's office at the Go City Bueno Nacho, but there was relatively little of it he could use. And the frustrating part was that they had called from a cell phone with a very weak signal, so he was having trouble pinning down which tower it had come from. What he did know so far was that it had come from somewhere in Italy, most likely from the Venice area. Unfortunately, since the call had occurred several months earlier, there was no way to know if they were still there. He was tempted yet hesitant to bring Kim and Ron in on this, mainly because it wasn't something pressing, but particularly since it could mean quite a few days of detective work and would most likely result in them missing at least a week or more of classes. And based on what they'd told him about their schedules and teachers, that scenario probably wasn't going to work, especially for Kim and her history class. As he went over the puzzle, Wade hit on the random thought that if her professor were going over ancient Rome right now would be the perfect time to go, but he had no idea where they were in the course work.

He sighed again as his search hit another dead end, and re-plugged the information back into the computer. However, he must have hit a wrong button, because his system suddenly started going crazy with warnings and alerts. Groaning, he hit a few key buttons to separate all the information across his other five main computers, putting all other programs on hold. As he did so, a look of dread slid rapidly across his face.

"It couldn't be," he muttered to himself, hoping his machine had made a technical error.

However, the proof was staring him in the face. Long ago, he'd created a program that tapped into the street cameras of practically every nation in the world, and had it constantly running checks against faces in Team Possible's known villain database. More than once it had alerted them to the nefarious activities of their foes, and this time was no different. The exception on this time however was that the evildoer it had picked up on was, as far as Team Possible knew, still locked up in a Global Justice prison on the coast of France. The reason Wade's search of Italy for Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey had picked him up was that he'd just been spotted by a traffic light recorder in the streets of Rome. Wade quickly rewound the feed, and pulled up the information on the villain, grimacing as he confirmed a positive identification.

For whatever reason, Global Justice had once again kept them in the dark about someone with a clear vendetta against Kim and Ron. Though Wade didn't know why they'd been left out of the loop, he knew he first had to confirm with Dr. Director about what he'd seen. Then he'd ask why they hadn't been told that former G.J. agent Ivan Gerhardt was loose on the streets…

* * *

Jean Stoppable grinned as she set the table for dinner that evening. She could hear Kim and Ron, who had arrived at the Stoppable house a few hours earlier, talking with her husband and Kim's parents about the reconstruction of the Possible home and various other topics. She laughed as she could also hear her son trying once again to corral his little sister. Then she winced a little as she overheard Anne Possible tell Kim about the plans to face the young woman's grandmother as a unit rather than letting Ron and her do it alone, and Kim's resulting rebuttal. Needless to say, Kim didn't sound particularly pleased that her mother had organized the whole thing behind her back. However, it sounded as if Anne was slowly winning her daughter over; that outcome probably had a lot do with Jean's son, who really did at times seem to know Kim better than her parents did.

Jean smiled at the thought of the lives they were preparing for, but couldn't help but feel just a little bit guilty that she'd ever suspected the red-head would leave her son for some college hunk. 'Hotties' was what this generation called them, but to Jeanette Stoppable they would always be known as hunks. To this point, and the woman hoped for the rest of their lives, Kim had proven to have the special ability to look beyond her son's faults and see the wonderful person he was and the good heart he possessed. She grinned as she remembered seeing a similar quality in a short, stocky blonde just over twenty years earlier, and had to agree with what her husband Gene had said the night the two teens had gotten engaged: Kim really did look at Ron the same way she herself looked at his father Eugene Stoppable. As she pulled out the silverware, she heard Kim come in to the kitchen. Glancing around to make sure that none of the pots or pans were suddenly going crazy in the young woman's presence, she smiled at her son's fiancée.

"Need any help, Mrs. S.?" Kim said as she returned the smile.

Jean shook her head as she placed the utensils around the plates. "No, not really, Kim. It's actually almost ready."

Kim nodded. "Hey, Mrs. S.? Do you mind if I ask you something kind of personal?"

"Of course not, dear. Ask away."

The red-head smiled. "What was your sister's initial reaction to Mr. S.?"

Jean grinned. "Going for the tough one right off the bat, are we? I'm guessing this is inspired by what your mother just told you, right?"

Kim sighed. "Yes. I just want to get a good idea of what Ron and I will be up against when we go visit your family in Hartford in November."

The older woman nodded her understanding. "Well Kimberly, I'm not sure if Alma's reaction to Gene is going to be a good gauge of her reaction to you. Alma's very traditional in her views when it comes to relationships and religious views, and even more scrutinizing when it comes to women joining the family. Unfortunately, her view of the world seems to be set about a hundred years in the past, and maybe even further."

"Meaning?" Kim asked nervously, afraid of where this was heading.

Ron's mother put her hand on the young woman's shoulder supportively. "Kim, anytime we have dinner with my family is the one situation where Ron gets barred from the kitchen. I think you can get where I'm going from there."

Kim shut her eyes in worry. "I'm going to have to cook for them, aren't I?"

Jean looked at her sympathetically. "I'm afraid it's a little bit more complicated than that, dear. It's Thanksgiving, and since you are going to be the newest one in the kitchen, you're going to be the one in charge of the turkey."

Kim groaned and sank down in one of the dining room chairs. "So basically the meal depends completely on me and they're using that to judge whether or not I'm good enough for Ron. Why couldn't it be something easy like bring them the lost Ark of the Covenant?"

Jean grinned, realizing the girl had not made a joke and was being completely serious. "Kim, I know the kitchen isn't your forte, and that you'd rather face every single villain you and Ron know in a single day. But I also know that regardless of what Alma says, the rest of the family knows you and Ron aren't the conventional couple. And besides, even though it might seem like my sister's the one you have to make the good impression on, the only ones you really have to worry about are my parents, Benjamin and Abigail. And just between you and me, they both already know about you two and the relationship you have, as well as the fact that Ronald will be the one in the kitchen most of the time. The only thing you have to show them is that you're a decent, mature young woman, and you'll have their complete and undivided support. Considering what I know about you, that just means be yourself."

"Thanks, Mrs. S.," the young woman replied with an appreciative smile. "So have you had to deal with any more break-ins since the last one? Ron's dad just keeps waving us off with a reply that he and Hana are fine."

Jean sighed. "Well, there was an incident a few days ago where we found monkey tracks in the backyard near the tree line, but other than that, nothing."

"Monkey tracks?" Kim said in surprise. "Where were they?"

The older woman pointed out the window at the edge of the trees near her garden. "Over there, I believe. I only noticed them because it had rained the night before and the tracks were fresh in the mud around the trees."

Kim nodded. "I don't suppose you have a flashlight I could borrow, do you?"

Ron's mother pulled one out of a drawer in the china cabinet of the dining room. "Batteries should be good in this one. Just make it quick. Dinner's almost ready."

The red-head nodded, and then went out into the living room to motion to Ron to follow her. Ron nodded and, after grabbing Hana out of her beginning circuit up the wall and handing her to his dad, followed his love out into the backyard. It took them a few minutes, but they finally found the tracks Jean Stoppable had been referring to. A few yards back, they found even fresher tracks, these much larger. What made Kim and Ron take this even more seriously was that these looked to have been made by orangutans, and were surrounded by too many hand prints to have been made by the normal quantity of two. They looked at each other, and said the same word with a matching worry in their voices.

"Orangupi."

"Guess you're theory about D.N. Amy going after monkey texts might be right, Ron," Kim admitted with a serious look on her face.

Ron grimaced. "Personally, K.P., I wish I'd been wrong on this one. Though I would like to know why they're spying on my family."

Kim suddenly had a thought hit her like a whirlwind. "Ron, are we sure that Monkey Fist couldn't make a return somehow?"

Ron shrugged. "I've tried asking Sensei about it, but he keeps brushing me off. I think he knows a lot more than he's willing to tell me, but why he's keeping us in the dark is completely beyond my understanding."

Kim nodded. "Something's not adding up here, Ron, and I don't like it one bit."

"Me either, K.P. Me either."

* * *

Gemini was furious. And when the leader of the Worldwide Evil Empire was mad, it normally meant an ejection for one of his operatives and promotions for all those beneath that operative. However, that was not the case this time, as there was nothing he could do about the situation at the moment. He strolled angrily over to Gerhardt's work space.

"Agent Alpha, why is it that Agent One is now on Stage Four of our plan while Agent Two is still on Stage Two?" he roared. "This was supposed to be a synchronous effort designed to hit Team Possible and my sister at the same time!"

Gerhardt shook his head, and his Russian accent was bristling with an anger to match his current employer's. "I do not know, Gemini. Agent One has been giving us regular reports on his progress, but for some reason I cannot fathom, Agent Two has stopped doing the same regarding her efforts. I have sent communiqués to her repeatedly asking for updates, but she continues to ignore them. I believe we may have a rogue agent on our hands."

Gemini sneered, and his voice dropped two an icy cold calmness that was far more threatening than the yelling he'd been doing a few moments earlier. "That is unacceptable on two accounts, Agent Alpha. First of all, all my agents are to address me as 'Sir,' a concept you still fail to grasp. Secondly, it was on your recommendation that I chose those two agents, and if one of them turns against me without receiving quick and speedy retribution for the action, it will be you who is asked to take a seat. Is that clear, Agent Alpha?"

Gerhardt nodded slowly, more out of frustration than fear. "Clear as a crystal Fabergé egg." Then as an afterthought, he added, "Sir."

As soon as Gemini left his side, Gerhardt began typing furiously, his dark mustache twitching wildly. The moment he was done, he sent the email to its intended recipient. Then he sent another message to a different contact, someone he had not spoken to in many years. If his current job was in jeopardy, it couldn't hurt to start reopening old bridges.

**…  
****…**

At that moment on the G.V.U. campus, a computer screen lit up as an email was received. The owner quickly sat down to read, the glow of the screen in the darkened room lighting up the Guardian football jersey he wore. The note was precise and to the point.

_Agent One,_

_Be advised. Loyalties of Agent Two may be compromised. Approach her at once and report back with update. Understand that mission may change to include her elimination. Respond on your readiness to follow through with these orders should they become necessary._

_Agent Alpha._

The young man smirked. So, his female counterpart was having doubts, was she? He'd known it was a mistake to allow a woman to undertake such an important mission for the glory of the WEE, but he had kept his mouth shut in the interest of avoiding the seat. Now maybe he would get a chance to truly prove his dedication to the organization. He quickly typed up his response.

_Agent Alpha,_

_I am fully prepared and ready to serve the WEE and its glorious leader Gemini. Expect continuous updates on Agent Two's suspected status to begin within two days. Should situation arise, necessary orders will be followed._

_Agent One._

Smirking confidently, he picked up a photo strip and smiled at the face of the young woman sitting next to him in the four pictures. She was so blissfully oblivious to his true intentions that getting what he needed from her was like taking candy from a baby. Not to mention the other benefits he was reaping from this assignment. If things kept going like they were, it was entirely plausible that he might finish up his mission long before his brain-dead counterpart ever got fully started.

* * *

The next few weeks passed with relatively little incident for Kim and Ron. The next three football games weren't cakewalks for the Guardians, particularly the most recent one against the University of Michigan. The top-ranked Wolverines had pushed the Guardians hard, leading for most of the game, but somehow Ron and his teammates pulled it out in the final minutes on a last-second field goal, giving them a thus far undefeated 4-0 record. Ron's contributions to the victories were anything but minimal, as he racked up a total of 542 yards and seven touchdowns during the three games. As a result, Vinnie's prediction about Ron approaching the status of "Big Man on Campus" began to make itself much more prevalently known, and people that Kim and Ron didn't even know from Adam and Eve were saying hello to them on campus. Had their reputations as world heroes not already been what they were, it would have been quite the culture shock, but they took it all in normal stride.

As they returned to class from the weekend break for the week of September 25th through the 29th, things seemed to be going smoothly. All their classes that week were of course their normal level, except maybe for Professor Barkin's—they had just started in on an in-depth study of Homer's _The Odyssey_, and Chris Barkin seemed to have an almost obsessive fanaticism with the epic tale. To Kim and Ron, it was almost like having Steve Barkin all over again, and had it not been for the different nose; long, Hippie-styled hair; full-length beard that hung halfway down his chest; and fringed leather vest over tie-dyed shirt with yellow sunglasses, they would have sworn it was their old Middleton High teacher instructing them. Indeed, once or twice, Christopher Barkin's normally very laid-back voice during their discussions of the book almost took on the drill-sergeant like demeanor of his fraternal twin.

However, one class seemed to have a radically different atmosphere to it: their Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. class. The first few weeks of the seminar, their graduate student instructor, Katie Ryan, had been very upbeat and perky as she guided them through the different aspects of adjusting to college life and campus living. However, in more recent weeks she had seemed to be far less positive, almost to the point of being a complete shadow of the person they had met their first day of classes. She still came to class with a smile on her face, but Kim, Ron, Felix, and Monique could all sense that something wasn't right. Even Rufus, who had stopped sleeping the day away after he snoozed through one of Ron's cooking classes and missed a cheese-tasting, had a concerned look on his face for the British-born young woman. When the class wrapped up on Friday afternoon about fifteen minutes early, Kim and Ron made a conscious decision to stay for a few minutes to talk to the woman they'd started to become well-acquainted with.

"Miss Ryan, is something wrong?" Kim said with a smile after everyone else had left.

"Please call me Katie, Kim. And no, nothing's wrong," the young woman replied as she shook her head. However, both Kim and Ron could easily look past the bug-eyed glasses and see the weariness in her normally bright eyes.

Ron grinned warmly at her. "You know, if you want to talk, we're here to listen."

Katie nodded, and her British accent came through clearly. "Thank you, Ron, and you too, Kim. But I'm dealing with something right now that I don't think anyone can help me with, and that unfortunately especially applies to you two. Besides, don't you have your own problems to deal with, especially with Dack Daniels still intent on causing you two grief?"

The senior Guardian slot back had apparently not yet gotten the message about Kim and Ron being inseparable, because he had approached Kim several times the past few weeks to ask her out, particularly the few days after the "break up" had occurred. Every single time she had rejected him flat out, but he continued with an almost bullish persistence, even going so far as propositioning her with Ron standing right there holding his fiancée's hand. After the first time it happened, Ron had said something to the older player, but Dack's glare at him told the young man in no uncertain terms exactly what the senior thought of him. After the second time it happened, Ron had been very tempted to unleash his Mystical Monkey Power on that arrogant black-haired head, but Kim had seen the look in his eyes and told him in no uncertain terms that it would be a misuse of his abilities and wasn't ethical or allowable.

Ron smiled. "Well, we haven't exactly taken that lying down, you know. Didn't you wonder why he couldn't stand still in the game against Michigan this past weekend?"

Katie cocked her head confusedly. "A little, especially since the game was a national broadcast. Why?"

Kim sighed, and good-naturedly clocked her man on the back of the head. "Ron here conspired with a friend of ours who's a trainer to send a message by putting some Icy-Hot on the pads that go in his pants. Particularly on his jock strap."

Katie laughed hard, so hard that her black-rimmed circular glasses slid off her nose and swung on her ears by the earpieces. As she did, Kim noticed a little light return to the young woman's eyes, and she suspected this was the first time Katie had laughed in quite a few weeks.

After she recomposed herself, Katie grinned. "Thanks you two—I needed that. And don't worry, I won't tell a soul."

Ron sighed. "Too late for that. I've had quite a few bleachers to do after practice this week. Devereaux figured out from my laughs that I was involved, and he wasn't pleased. Said it was the type of thing that high school players do, not college players. Also said that if I didn't complete a thousand reps of bleachers this week I was benched for this week's game against Army."

Kim eyed him seriously. "And he was right to do it, Ron."

Katie smiled a bit more and leaned in while dropping her voice a little lower. "Well, just between us, I think Dack deserved it. Maybe now he won't think with that part of his anatomy so much." She stood up straight and looked at her watch. "Whoops, I've kept you too long. If you two don't hurry, you won't make it down to your practices in time. And thanks."

The two nodded and turned to go. As they left, a blonde young man entered the room, his dark brown eyes flashing concern. "Katie, what are you doing? You know we have a mission to complete, and yet you're acting all chummy with them."

Her smile disappeared, replaced by a hard frown. "You think I don't know that? You got the easy job here because you don't have to look both of them in the eye and lie to them every day about who you really are. The only one you have to face is Stoppable, and he accepts everyone at face value. Possible's so good at analyzing people I'm constantly having to make sure I don't frown at her even for a moment."

The young man smiled evilly at her. "Just remember where your loyalties are supposed to lie, Katie. Or else you might be asked to 'take a seat' when we get back to headquarters."

"And what makes you think I'm faltering?" she snapped acidly.

That evil smile appeared again. "Because I'm already on Stage Four of Agent Alpha's plan. And you have yet to progress to Stage Three despite our recent 'discussions' of loyalty."

The young woman glared at her counterpart, the bruises from their last 'discussion' still causing a little stiffness. "If you think for even one minute I have any sort of fondness for those two, think again. I will complete this mission as ordered and on schedule."

Another sinister smile. "I have never said you were growing fond of them, Agent Two. Though it does sound to me like someone's got a guilty conscience trying to rise above what she claims."

"You…you…" she stammered angrily. "If you don't watch yourself, Agent One, I'll make sure that both Gerhardt and Gemini know just what kind of person you really are."

The young man laughed. "Oh, they already know that I'd just as soon backstab them as follow orders. That's part of the reason they chose me for this mission. You, on the other hand, got chosen merely because you were the first bitch to volunteer."

Katie's eyes grew fiery. "DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN! You have no idea what I've had to do to get to where I am, and I'LL BE DAMNED if I'm going to let you take that away from me. My loyalties lie completely with Gemini and the glory of the Worldwide Evil Empire."

His only response was to laugh derisively once more and exit the room. The minute he left, Katie pulled a compact out of her purse and opened it. However, instead of powder and a make-up pouf, there was complex circuitry and a screen. She quickly pressed a button. A face appeared on the screen.

"Status," the person said.

"Possible compromise on mission. Advisement needed."

"Continue with the operation unless full proof of compromise is obtained. Do not, repeat, do not involve Team Possible under any circumstances unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood."

"And Katie?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Something tells me there is more at play here than you or I realize."

As the young woman closed the compact, she shook her head and sighed, rubbing her temples. Dual identities were hard, but maintaining a triple persona was really starting to wear Katie down, not to mention the fact that she was currently having to be three completely different people so that no one suspected anything. And the comment her contact had just made didn't help matters any.

_Something tells you there is more at play here than you or I realize? That's the bleeding understatement of the century. Might as well have said that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is really a man for all the good it'll do me in figuring out how to complete this mission without those two kids getting hurt._

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are more than welcome...they are greatly appreciated. They also let me know you guys are continuing to enjoy the story. :)

Also, special thanks must be extended to **Slipgate** and to **screaming phoenix**, both of whom pointed out a rather agriegous error I made in the last chapter which has since been fixed. Thanks guys! :)

And finally, my first story **_Changes_** just crossed the 10k views mark! THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS! :D *series of HUGE bows*


	12. Chapter 12

A/N

Chapter 12 is up and running!

Sorry about the long break between updates, but I had trouble finding a way to end this one and still get in everything. But now it's finished, and we can continue with the story:

Sheila has a confrontation with her least favorite brother, leading to an unexpected problem.

The results of a Team Possible mission reveal a few kinks in the system, as well as a problem that someone's been hiding.

A wrench gets thrown in Kim and Ron's plans for telling their families about their engagement, and things might not be as easy as they'd hoped.

A couple of new relationships are revealed, and someone close to Kim and Ron faces a dilemma.

Then, at a hometown football game, two events cause a some major drama.

And finally, an unforgivable event takes place, pushing Team Possible into action.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

As Katie closed the compact, she shook her head and sighed, rubbing her temples. Dual identities were hard, but maintaining a triple persona was really starting to wear the young woman down, not to mention the fact that she was currently having to be three completely different people so that no one suspected anything. And the comment her contact had just made didn't help matters any.

_Something tells you there is more at play here than you or I realize? That's the bleeding understatement of the century. Might as well have said that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is really a man for all the good it'll do me in figuring out how to complete this mission without those two kids getting hurt._

As she packed up her things to leave, she glanced out the window, and just happened to catch sight of Kim and Ron kissing as they walked down the sidewalk. She smiled, hoping they could endure whatever she had to do.

* * *

Sheila smiled as she sat up in bed for the first time in a few months without feeling nauseous. Stretching out her limbs, she cast a loving gaze at the man next to her in the bed. His blue-skinned form was still asleep, his mouth slightly open as his chest continued to slowly rise and fall. Smiling, she slowly climbed out of bed, grabbing her sea-foam green bathrobe as she did so. Though it might not be noticeable to everyone, she definitely noticed the slight waddle she'd picked up recently as she headed for the bathroom. She wasn't small, but the pressure her twin boys were starting to exert on her bladder had already made it so that she was making more frequent trips to use the restroom.

When she re-emerged, Andy was still asleep, so she headed off to the meal area of the quarters by herself. One thing she'd always been grateful for about living in Go Tower was that each of the Godfrey siblings had their own living area to themselves, all except for the twins who shared a space. She'd loved it back when she was younger and still on Team Go, but now it offered all new benefits. Things like privacy in the mornings, alone time with Andy, and other little amenities that she had come to enjoy back at their main base of operations in the Caribbean.

However, mornings like this, where she really felt the need to eat _with_ someone, made her wish that the meal areas had been placed in a more public location. Sheila was tempted to rouse her boyfriend from his slumber, but she also knew from previous experience what that course of action would mean. Living in close proximity with Andy Lipsky for just over six years had shown her just how cranky he could get when he didn't get enough sleep, and the previous evening he'd made at least three different late-night trips to various stores, gas stations, and fast food places to satisfy her latest pregnancy cravings. Exchanging her bathrobe for a set of sweatpants and a t-shirt, she headed out into the common area of the tower, where she was surprised to find her oldest younger brother, Melvin, pacing around nervously, his random shrinking giving testament to his agitation.

"Something wrong, Mel?" she asked with a smile.

"Sheila!" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hello?" she replied, her former snarkiness coming out. "I moved back into Go Tower a few months ago, remember?"

"Right, right," he said with a falsely confident wave. "Look, Sheila, this really isn't the best time for me. I'm kind of in the middle of something really important here, so I'd appreciate it if you don't bother me."

Sheila glanced at a wall clock. "But it's only 5:30 AM. What could you possibly have going this early in the day?"

"Something personal," he replied edgily. "And I really need some 'me time' to deal with it. So just go away and leave me alone."

"Look, Mego," she snapped, "I don't know why you've always had a problem with me, but I want it to stop. I'm just trying to be civil and repair the bridges with you guys. But I can't do that alone; I need you to at least meet me halfway. So far, Hector, Werner, and Wesley are all willing to do that. Why can't you at least give it a half-ass effort?"

"And who ever asked you to repair the bridge with me?" he fired back. "Personally, I think my bridge with you got burned long ago, considering you've forgotten my last four birthdays. Hell, I'd be surprised if you even remember when my birthday is."

"October 20th," she replied casually. "Hector's is June 4th, and the twins were born August 10th. And since you're on such a high horse right now, you tell me when mine is."

"Ummm…" he stammered. "Well…it's…uhhh…I know it happens in the fall…"

"Figures," she said in a huff. "Mine is March 15th. And I'll bet you a hundred bucks you also didn't remember when Hego or the Wegos were born until I said it just now, did you?"

"No," he admitted sheepishly.

She sighed. "I'll tell you something, Melvin, and I want you to know I'm saying this as a sister who cares and wants to see you become better than you've been. I know Hector can be a little overbearing with all his hero talk and his long-winded de-briefing sessions, but he's not the one who finally drove me to leave the team seven years ago. To be completely honest, it was you and your self-centeredness, the fact that you could never focus on the team without glorifying yourself, that finally broke the camel's back. You just can't seem to understand that there are other people in this world who just might matter, who might have a valid place in society. And just from the way you're pacing with that nervous agitation to your steps, I can tell you're waiting on your latest girlfriend to call you back saying she forgives you for being too concerned with yourself and not paying enough attention to her."

"How did you…" he began.

"Melvin, you can be the nicest, most caring person when you want to be, but sometimes I wonder if you'd be happier if you were completely alone on the planet. Then you could focus solely on yourself and not have to worry about others. BUT, the fact is there are other people in the world, and you have to put some of your attention on them. Otherwise, you ARE going to end up alone."

"HELLO?" he finally shot back. "I'M PURPLE! I STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB! And she doesn't get that."

Sheila shook her head in anger and frustration, her blood pressure beginning to rise. "And I'm green, you self-centered jerk! I deal with it just like you do! Regardless of what that stupid frog puppet says, it's not easy to go anywhere when I'm instantly recognizable just from my skin tone as a villain! At least you have the benefit of being considered a hero, whereas I have to pull double-duty to both deal with the way I look and the fact that I'm trying to repair my reputation! So don't even start to give me that crap about looking different!" Her fists flared up at the last comment, causing her brother to shrink back a bit.

"Look, Sheila, I'm sorry…" he began, but then he stopped and stared at her with a shocked look. "Uhh, Sheila, what's with your stomach?"

She glanced down, and was stunned to see a pair of blue-green glows emanating from her mid-section, one from each side. Almost immediately she began to feel very faint, and couldn't maintain her balance as she started to collapse backwards. Mego rushed to her side, barely catching her before she hit the floor, and that was only thanks to his shrinking ability.

"HEGO! ANDY! WEGOS!" she heard him yell at the top of his lungs as he held her, her vision quickly fading to black.

* * *

Kim glanced at her love as he dozed on the plane Saturday morning. Their most recent mission had taken them to Africa, where they'd been charged with protecting and delivering a shipment of food, medicine, and supplies to a collection of villages being hit hard by a drought from a band of violent rebels. It had taken a surprising toll on both of them, particularly on Ron who had tried to do too much, and now he was grabbing some much needed rest before the football game that was to take place that evening. It wouldn't have been necessary, but they had found themselves unexpectedly short-handed when Joss had declined to go on this one. For reasons the younger girl wouldn't fully disclose, she had turned down this particular outing, but Kim had a sneaking suspicion she knew why her cousin had backed out this time. One of the first rules that they'd set down was that school and life came before missions, and this was really the first test of that. Kim still vividly remembered the talk she'd had with Joss the afternoon before…

**…**  
**…**

"Joss, we've got a big hit on the site for a mission in Africa. Are you free?"

"Sorry, Kim, but Ah can't go. I've got some…personal stuff…to deal with here at home."

"Personal stuff?" Kim replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Level of what you dealt with when yeh thought you were weirdin' guys out a while back," her cousin replied nervously before quickly adding, "Plus, Ah gots me a math test to study for or my grades might start slippin'."

Kim immediately understood. "Okay. Just remember that if the guy can't handle who you are he's not worth it. And trust me: it takes a guy who's confident on his own two feet to be able to handle strong women like us who do what we do."

"Ah know that, Kim," the younger girl replied forlornly. "Ah jest thought maybe he did understand it."

Kim smiled. "Well, if you feel like you need to talk face to face, give me a call and either I'll come by there to see you or arrange for you to come down here to G.V.U. to see me."

Joss grinned. "Thanks, Kim. And Ah'm sorry about missin' this one."

"No big."

**…**  
**…**

However, despite her reassurances of her cousin's doubts, Kim had found that she and Ron had gotten used to having a third set of human eyes on the job. Thankfully they'd realized the problem before the shipment left the starting point, but it had still come as quite a shock that they'd so quickly become accustomed to it not being just the two of them. Fortunately they had Rufus with them, so the solution came a little easier than it otherwise would have. However, it taught them a valuable lesson about not getting too comfortable with their current mission sitch. And unfortunately, the test wasn't over yet, as they still had to worry about how they were going to perform at the game that night. They'd dealt with sitches like this for most of high school, but those times when missions and games ran together had always been flip-flopped from this, with the game happening first and then dealing with the resulting effects on their missions. Now it was reversed, and they were going to have to deal with the effects of missions on games. Not to mention that something had happened this time that worried Kim a little.

Ever since the Upperton game, she'd noticed that Ron kept appearing to favor his left wrist for his Kimmunicator when she knew him to be a righty. It wouldn't have been an issue except that on this particular mission he'd gotten a serious bash on his left shoulder from a club during an ambush set up by the raiders, forcing him to rely on his right arm for the remainder of the escort to prevent the injury from getting worse. They'd wrapped the injured shoulder of course, but Kim couldn't shake the feeling that every time he used his right shoulder with his wrist grapple from then on in, he'd winced slightly. She knew it had come from that final offensive series against the Wildcats when Dack Daniels had barreled in and Ron had given him the ball, and from Ron's explanation that the play had been planned that way. But still Kim couldn't shake the feeling that something else had happened during the exchange that wasn't supposed to.

Now, as he dozed, she noticed something strange. Normally, when Ron slept on a plane and they weren't sitting next to each other, he would stretch out and use his arm for a makeshift pillow. And since his left shoulder had been the one hit, she'd naturally assumed he would use his right arm for that purpose this time. But surprisingly he was still using his left arm to support his head. When he woke up about thirty minutes before they were to land, she felt she had to ask.

"I'm fine," he answered with a smile.

"Ron, don't lie to me," she retorted with a frown. "You've been favoring your left arm this whole trip, even though it was the one that took the hit from the club. Now tell me what's wrong with your right shoulder."

"Nothing," he replied defensively. To prove it, he rotated it slowly around windmill-style a few times, staring her in the face the whole time.

Kim still wasn't convinced. "Alright, buster. Do it again, and this time don't focus on me while you do it."

He sighed but complied. Just as he reached the top of the rotation, however, there was a split-second faltering in his smile. It was so small that had Kim not known him like she did she would have missed it completely. However, she knew from the way he was acting that he'd deny it if she pointed it out. So when she dropped him off at the locker room door just before the game, she waited outside for a moment until another player came by.

"Hey, Viktor," she said as the blonde, brown-eyed sophomore cornerback came around the corner. "Could you do me a favor and ask Allison to come out here for a bit?"

"Sure, Kim," Tretiov said with a smile.

A few minutes later the brunette trainer came out into the hall, a smile on her face. "What's up, Kim?"

Kim sighed. "Allison, something's wrong with Ron's right shoulder, but he won't admit to it, even when I'm the one who asks. Could you take a look, please?"

The other girl frowned. "So you noticed it too, huh?"

"Too?" the red-head replied a little confused and even more worried than she had been.

Allison shook her head. "I noticed it against Michigan last week. In previous games, he always seemed so unpredictable in his running, but last week he kept favoring to go to his left when he was surrounded and protected his right, almost as if he were worried about getting hit from that side. I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure, but if you think there's something wrong, I'm definitely going to make Ron let me look at it."

"Thanks, Allie. I owe you one. Oh, and don't tell Ron I alerted you. He'll freak out if he thinks I'm being overprotective."

"As you say, 'No big.' And don't worry, I've already voiced my concern to one of the higher-level student trainers, and he advised me to keep an eye on it. So it shouldn't be too hard between the two of us to pass off the examination as my idea."

As the brunette reentered the locker room, Kim breathed a sigh of relief. And when the Guardian's ran out of the tunnel, she breathed another one when she saw Ron wasn't dressed in his pads but rather just in his jersey and normal tan cargos. He smiled and waved at her with his left arm, and she was slightly shocked when she realized why he'd used that one: his right arm was currently supported in a sling! If she hadn't been convinced before that something was wrong, she surely was now. She pointed to her own right arm and motioned her question if he was okay, and he gave her a thumbs-up and a smile, as well as mouthing that he'd explain later. Her mind slightly more at ease, she shifted her focus back on the cheer the squad was starting.

As the game progressed, however, she began to feel a little guilty. Without the attack from the backfield that Ron provided, the Guardian's offense was struggling against the Army Black Knights. Despite what she felt, however, she knew the safer thing right now was for her love to sit this game out and prevent further injury to his shoulder.

**…**  
**…**

Up in the press box, Shield and Spear were expressing similar concerns.

"Rick, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it looks like the Guardians just don't know what to do without Stoppable's speed to rely on."

"It's pretty simple, Wally. Devereaux likes the run game, and without the lightning to go along with Daniels's thunder, the offense just doesn't have that many options. We're still waiting to hear why Stoppable came out on the field in his street clothes with his right arm in a sling, but so far no word yet. Oooo, and James goes down hard again as he's sacked at the Army 40-yard line. That Black Knight defensive line is having a field day down there, and the pockets are collapsing before the Guardian QB can find his receivers. If it weren't for the stellar play of Brissart, Tretiov, and the G.V.U. defense, who have managed to turn two of the Knights' turnovers into Guardian defensive touchdowns, we'd be looking at a much different game than our current score of G.V.U. 20, Army 24."

"As it is, Rick, I'm not too sure if the Guardians are going to be able pull this out and remain unbeaten. As James and the offense head to the sideline again after yet another 3-and-out, Devereaux seems to be wondering how to get past this pesky Army defense."

**…**  
**…**

Down on the sideline, Ron was feeling a level of helplessness he could only compare as being just slightly less than the way he'd felt on missions where he knew he'd done more to help the villains escape than aid Kim in their capture. He knew the trainers were right, that he should have told them about his injury back when it first happened. But years of fast recoveries from missions had convinced him that the numbness he'd felt after the Upperton game had been nothing more than the forming of a bruise, something he dealt with all the time from every single mission Team Possible had. But worse than that, however, was the knowledge that he hadn't been entirely truthful with Kim. If he had, he knew she would have forced him to go see a sports doctor, something he would have hated. But now he had to admit that maybe that would have been smarter. Glancing over in her direction, he grinned when he saw her smiling at him. There were only a few times she'd smiled at him like that, such as when he'd provided a perfect distraction for something…and suddenly he had an idea about how the Guardians could pull off another miracle! Quickly rushing over to where Vinnie was standing, he told the blonde-haired, brown-eyed junior of his plan.

"Stoppable, that has got to be the most far-fetched thing I've ever heard of," the quarterback retorted. "And you know what else?"

"What?" Ron said with a grin.

The smile crossed Vinnie's face said it all. "I wish I'd thought of it first."

Together, they headed over to Devereaux, whose smile only grew bigger as they explained the idea.

**…**  
**…**

"Well, Wally, it looks like it all comes down to this. The Guardians have forced a punt with just under a minute left to go in the fourth quarter, but it looks to be too little too late. Tretiov is under the ball at the Guardian 32-yard line, but with Knights all around he'll call for a fair catch. And as the offense comes out, it appears that…wait…what are they doing?"

"Rick, what do you call this?"

"No clue, Wally. For those of you not watching this game in person or on TV, the Guardians have lined up in one of the stranger formations I've seen in my fifteen years of commentating. No, scratch that, in my forty-three years of living. All the linemen except for the right guard are lined up left of center, including two tight ends, and both Daniels and Highland are staggered off to the left. Sophomore Quincy Clay is the lone receiver off on the right sideline, and I think Army is treating him as a non-factor with only one guy on him. It's probably safe to assume which direction this play is going, but I don't think I understand what Devereaux is thinking."

"It's completely random and out of left-field, Rick, a real gutsy call. When this play is over, Coach Devereaux is going to look like either the biggest genius or the biggest idiot."

"And there's the snap. It's the obvious hand-off to Daniels, and Highland is plowing the road behind that wall of linemen as the seconds tick away. The Guardians appear to have accepted their defeat as the line slows…But hold the phone, Daniels has just halted and hefted the ball like he's gonna throw! And he does…backwards?…to James…who heaves a Hail Mary bomb down the field. And there's Clay sprinting up the far sideline! It's a footrace to the ball! This is gonna be close, people! The ball is staying in bounds, and the only question is whether or not Clay can get to it in time! He's got his man beat, all he has to do is make the reception and we'll have a score! The ball has dropped low, Clay makes a desperate last-second dive for it…AND HE HAS IT! TOUCHDOWN, GUARDIANS! QUINCY CLAY MAKES A DIVING CATCH ACROSS THE GOAL LINE WITH LESS THAN A SECOND LEFT ON THE CLOCK!"

"Rick, if I'm not mistaken, the run by Daniels was just a distraction so that Clay could get down the field! Where in the world did Devereaux find that bit of magic?"

**…**  
**…**

As the flashbulbs continued to go off after the final whistle to end regulation, numerous members of the press began to gather around Guardians Head Coach William Devereaux.

"Coach Devereaux, that last play was absolute genius. Where in the world did you come up with it?"

The grizzled old man smiled. "Glad you think so, but I can't take credit for coming up with it. If you want to talk to its architects, ask James and Stoppable."

Immediately the reporters shifted their focus over to the Guardian's junior quarterback. "Vinnie James, Coach Devereaux tells us that you were responsible for coming up with the final play. Would you care to comment on where it came from?"

The blonde shook his head. "Sorry guys, but all I did was pick out the players for the positions. If you want the one who designed it, you need to talk to Ron."

Once more the focus shifted, this time towards a certain other blonde who currently had his good arm wrapped around the waist of a certain red-headed cheerleader. "Ron Stoppable, you have been named as the genius behind that final play. Where did you come up with it?"

Ron smiled. "My inspiration is standing right here," he said as he gave Kim a squeeze. "If it wasn't for my fi…my girlfriend, Kim, I wouldn't know the value of being a distraction. It's just something that works for us on missions, and luckily it worked for the guys out on the field as well. But seriously, people, I didn't play a second here today—you should really be talking to the others, like Dack, Viktor, and Jean-Luc. They're the ones that won this thing."

With that, he and Kim turned and left. Most of the reporters followed his advice and turned towards the other players, but one in particular, a slick, sharply-dressed man with mirror-sunglasses, got a sneaky smile on his face as he watched the two teens leave. Willie "The Weasel" Finkman had come by his nickname partly because he could normally smell a story where no one else could, and he had definitely caught the near-slip the young man had made. As he rewound his small video recorder and re-watched the comment, he couldn't help but snicker. He'd come to this game hoping to uncover some big, unknown crack in the façade that was the relationship between Possible and Stoppable, but now he had something even bigger.

"If it wasn't for my fi…my girlfriend, Kim…," the video-Ron said with a smile on his face. "If it wasn't for my fi…my girlfriend, Kim…"

* * *

To say that Kim was tweaked at Ron as they sat in the crowded waiting room of the doctor's office the following Monday afternoon was putting it mildly. She'd been fine Saturday night after the game, other than being worried about how serious the damage to his shoulder was. But that had been two full days earlier, and hadn't included Ron telling her he'd scheduled an appointment to see a sports doctor on Monday afternoon when he hadn't. Imagine her reaction when he had no idea what she was talking about when she reminded him about it Monday morning. A quick call to Allison confirmed just how serious it was that they get Ron's shoulder looked at, and Kim all but threw him in the Sloth for a drive down to the hospital. However, Tri-City Sports Medicine in Upperton was completely booked for appointments, and it was only thanks to a favor Kim had called in with one of Dr. Anne Possible's acquaintances that the young man had an appointment at the Middleton branch now as opposed to the Friday nearly three weeks away.

"Ron, what were you thinking not telling me about this?" she berated him none too gently. "What if something had happened on a mission, like in Africa this past Friday? What would we have done then?"

"KP, I'm…"

"Don't you 'KP' me, buster! Part of the reason we decided to bring Joss on to the team and in on the missions was so that if we needed to we didn't both have to go on a mission but could still have at least two people going. Or have you already forgotten what you told me just a few short weeks ago when I had that paper for Hyde?"

Ron hung his head. "No, I didn't forget. I just didn't want to let you down."

"Let me down? Ron, what are you talking about?"

"Kim, ever since we almost got toasted during our first encounter with Falsetto Jones, we've relied on each other more as partners than just as teammates. And it's even more apparent since we became boyfriend and girlfriend. I know you and Joss work well together, but I also knew that Joss couldn't go on this one."

Kim frowned, a trace of hurt on her face. "Ron, you got hurt in the game against Upperton a month ago, and that mission happened less than three days ago. Now tell me the truth: why didn't you tell me your shoulder was bothering you?"

The young man's head sank even lower. "Because I couldn't…I couldn't let you…let you know…"

Sensing something was seriously bothering him, she placed her hand on his left hand as it sat on his knee. "Couldn't let me know what, Ron? What are you so scared of me finding out?"

"That I'm not…I'm not…"

"What, Ron?" she half-demanded, half-begged.

He looked at her, and the hurt and disappointment in himself that she saw in her love's eyes surprised her. "That I'm not always able to be there for you, okay?"

"Ron…" she began, but he kept going.

"That I'm not some Superman with unlimited Monkey Power that I can always use to rescue you. That I'm not always going to be there to distract the villains so they don't see what you're doing to stop them. That I won't always be able to stumble and find the self-destruct button that lets us win outright. That I do have my limits."

She slowly made him sit up, and leaned against his side, laying her head on his good left shoulder. "Ron, I know that already. And I don't think any less of you because of it. In fact, I love you more because I know that. I know you feel that way, and even though I disagree with your reasoning, I admire and love that you still come with me on missions and take care of me despite your fears that you're not up to the task. Which by the way I totally think you are."

"But…" he began, but Kim silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"Ron, I'm able to do the things I do, and always have been able to do them, because I know you're there to back me up if something goes wrong. So I know that regardless of what happens you'll make sure I'm safe. But if I know you're going in hurt, that confidence gets shaken. After that guy whacked your left shoulder and you had to rely on your right, I knew something was off, and for the rest of the mission I was worried what that something was. You asked why I misjudged and nearly fell of that ledge we had to shimmy across just before we reached the village this weekend? It was because I was worried about what was wrong with you."

"KP, I…I didn't know…"

She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek before turning his head to face her. "Well now you do. So please, no more keeping injuries a secret, okay? If we have to pass on a mission because one of us is hurt, we will, but I'd rather us both be safe than be worried if we're both going to be coming back home."

"Okay," he replied as he kissed the top of her head softly.

When they turned back to look at the waiting room, they both noticed their faces appearing on the television. Knowing that their supply-run mission in Africa wasn't the sort of thing that was typically newsworthy, Kim quickly got up and went over to turn up the volume on the set before returning to her seat next to Ron.

"…Stoppable and Kim Possible more than they claim to be? I'm Willie Finkman, and this is _Star Watch_. At a recent G.V.U. football game, Ron was heard to say the following:"

"If it wasn't for my fi…my girlfriend, Kim…" The video paused there, a smile on both the teens faces, before replaying again a few more times. "If it wasn't for my fi…my girlfriend, Kim…"

Willie continued, his slick car-salesman voice and tone being put to full use. "If you were paying attention, it appears Mr. Stoppable almost called Miss Possible something besides his girlfriend. Was it a mere slip of the tongue, or have Kim and Ron taken themselves another step off the market by taking their relationship to the next level? Or, since Kim appears oblivious to the slip, is the young man planning something special for the girl who can do anything? You can bet that I, Willie Finkman, won't rest until I bring you the truth behind this apparently not so innocent slip. And you can be sure that whatever that truth may be, you'll see it first here on _Star Watch_."

Kim and Ron glanced at each other with shocked looks. They had of course briefly discussed Ron's verbal slip, but neither one had attached any importance to it. Kim's hand flew to her Kimmunicator, but Ron quickly put his hand over it and silently motioned towards the other people in the room. All of them, even the nurses and receptionists, were staring at the couple expectantly, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the engagement ring that was supposed to still be a secret. A few had even brought out camera phones, and the red-head's left hand dropped quickly out of sight on a reflex. She knew she wasn't wearing her ring at the moment, thankfully, but she still felt suddenly very exposed. She nodded to Ron, who returned the gesture, and then she headed outside to the Sloth. Once inside, her fingers couldn't call Wade up on the vehicle's Kimmunicator system fast enough.

"What's up, Kim?" he replied casually.

"Majorly problematic sitch, Wade. Some trash reporter knows about mine and Ron's engagement."

"Which one?" the young man asked, his fingers poised over his keyboard for a search.

"Worst of the worst, Wade. Willie Finkman," she said with a grimace.

"'The Weasel'? From _Star Watch_?" he said with a smile. "And you're worried about that? Kim, nobody believes even half of the stuff that guy says or reports on."

Kim frowned. "Wade, he caught that slip of the tongue Ron made Saturday on film. The one where he almost called me his fiancée."

Now Wade's look matched hers. "Kim, this isn't good. If Willie the Weasel smells a story, he doesn't quit until he's got the answers he wants to get, regardless of what the truth is. And worse than that is that he's actually got the truth this time."

"Tell me something I don't know," she remarked bitterly. "Wade, is there anything you can do?"

The tech genius shook his head as he worked his keyboard furiously. "Maybe if we'd had a heads up before Willie aired it I could have, but it's already out there in the open now. And his report's already making rounds across the internet. A MeVision video of it with the recording of Ron just crossed 10,000 hits in two minutes."

Kim groaned and leaned back in the seat, her hand immediately going for her forehead. "This is sooooo not happening. We only had three weeks to go until the confrontation with my grandmother."

Wade smiled sympathetically, knowing what the implications of this were going to be. "Sorry, Kim, but it looks like she's going to find out before you can tell her."

* * *

At that moment across town, Anne Possible's coffee cup fell from her hand to crash on the floor. Both she and her husband had the day off that day, and she'd been relaxing a bit by watching a little television in the Stoppable living room. However, the oily-haired host of the show she was currently tuned into had just made a pronouncement that froze her blood.

"James, get in here!" she yelled in a panicked voice, bringing her husband running.

"What is it?" he called as he entered the living room so fast he almost tripped over the coffee table.

She pointed to the television where Willie Finkman was still talking, a picture of a smiling Kim and Ron placed just over his shoulder. "Many have speculated for months now that the two world-saving heroes are more than just boyfriend and girlfriend, and some have even claimed that they've been much more than that since the night of their Junior Prom over a year and a half ago. Some of those take the story even farther than that, claiming that a couple of Team Possible's supposed 'missions' have been mere covers for trips to specialized clinics in other countries. Whether or not that's true has yet to be proven, but this quote by the male member of the team seems to point to the fact that not all is as it appears to be in the world of Kimberly Possible and Ronald Stoppable."

James's face was one of shocked calm, but his fists were clenching and unclenching angrily. "I'll tell you, that Finkman really grinds my beans in the worst way. He's nothing more than a slimy snake that's been out to do nothing but smear our daughter's reputation since the day she first got started on her missions."

Anne frowned. "James, I don't like him either, but we have a bigger problem here."

"What's that?" her husband said as he continued to stare furiously at the television.

"Come on, Jimmy, think. Use that rocket scientist brain and put it together. You know who first told me about this show, right?"

"Yes…your mother and your sister," he replied. A few moments later he caught on. "Oh…ahhh…"

Anne nodded, a grim determination setting itself like concrete on her face. "Now I know for certain that I'm not letting Kim face Mom alone, especially if Mom saw this report. In fact, I'm making sure I'm there when Kim and Ron pull up to the Carmichael Place. Even if it means I have to head down there before they do."

James put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Anne, you know I'm there with you on this, but I think the more important thing to focus on here is Kimmie. With this story coming out now, she's going to be a nervous wreck for the flight down to Mississippi, more so than she's ever been before, and she's going to need Ron _and_ you to be there to keep her calm so she can face your mother with a brave face."

Anne sighed. "You're right. I know you're right. I just can't believe we got this close only to have it fall apart two weeks before the trip."

James smiled. "Hey, at least the week after she can get her mind off of it to focus on Ron's favorite holiday."

"True," replied Anne with a small grin that was completely at odds with her churning insides. "I wonder what costume set he has in mind for them to wear this year."

* * *

The next two weeks were both a blur and a drag for Kim and Ron. The days seemed to drag individually, but put together the weeks seemed to fly by faster than any period they'd ever known. Kim wished and prayed that Father Time would make up his mind, but the old codger absolutely refused to cooperate with her. As the days counted down, she got more and more nervous, and it seemed nothing anybody could do could get her to relax. And when Kim Possible was stressed, she always got into a ferociously hyped-up frenzy when it came to work.

"KP, will you calm down?" Ron sighed.

They were currently working on a paper for Professor Barkin's class in Ron's room, him at his desk on his desktop and her on his bed on her laptop. It was a Wednesday evening, and though the papers weren't due until the following Tuesday, Kim had insisted they knock a good chunk out of them tonight. And with her mind in the state it was due to the fateful trip being just over a week away, it meant she had to get her rough draft completely finished tonight and no later.

"Ron, what do we do if get another mission this weekend? We have to get this done now." As she talked, the ferocity behind her typing fingers was causing them to practically beat the keys to death.

Ron turned towards her, wishing he still had use of both of his arms. However, the sports doctor had put him on orders keep his arm in the sling as much as possible, and that when it wasn't Ron was forbidden to go higher than forty-five degrees from completely relaxed at his side. That meant he could still type, but that stuff like hugging with his right arm was out. And right now, it appeared to him that Kim really needed one of his patented Stoppable bear hugs.

"Kim, seriously, take a break. You're so worked up that you're going to break your laptop if you keep at it like that. I mean, your keys are practically smoking."

She started to retort that he was seeing things, but that momentary pause allowed her to feel the stress she was putting on her fingertips. Examining them, she found every single one to be red and sore. As she shook out her hands and flexed her fingers to relax them, she sighed.

"I know, Ron, but you know how I get when I'm stressed."

Ron smiled. "Yeah, I know. Hey, why don't we go somewhere for an hour or two to get our minds off things? Some place new maybe."

Kim grinned. "Only if we take the Phoenix."

Ron shook his head. "KP, you know I can't drive it with my arm like this."

"And who said you were driving?" she replied, a sparkling in her eye. "I did just get that motorcycle certification added to my driver's license, you know."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, KP…"

She slid her laptop off her lap and grinned. "Ron, I know for a fact that you can keep your arm less than forty-five and still hold on to me. C'mon, this was your idea." Then grin got slyer. "And you know I have ways of making you comply if you continue to resist."

"Fine, just don't pull out the PDP," he said with a smile. "Hey, how about we check out that Blue Wolf place that Mitzy was telling us about when we first moved in? I think I heard her saying earlier that she's doing a couple of readings tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Kim replied.

He grabbed his helmet, and then they stopped by her Unit to grab her helmet before heading down to the parking lot. Climbing in to the driver's position on Ron's motorcycle, Kim lifted her eye shield and smiled as she patted the seat behind her. Ron couldn't help but shake his head and laugh as he climbed on behind her, and had to admit he rather liked the idea of holding on to her tightly from behind as she backed the motorcycle out of its spot and started out on to the road.

The Blue Wolf Coffeehouse was less than a quarter-mile off the campus, and the outside looked like it might be someone's home, with cobblestone columns and benches all along the front porch. Inside, it was exactly as Mitzy had described it, and made one feel very welcome from the moment they entered. The counter and ordering area was nice and neat and placed off to one side, and displayed several different pastries, desserts, and sandwiches under refrigerated glass, all guaranteed to be no less than three days fresh. Back behind there, there sat several different pots that could easily be assumed to contain various coffees, and an old-time espresso machine reminiscent of the one that had been featured in the coffee shop on the television show _Pals_. And suspended above that, the menu was a giant chalkboard with the selections written in various bright colors of chalk.

The rest of the place was equally as inviting. Taking up most of one corner was a spotlighted area that was empty except for a stool and a microphone, both of which were currently being used by Kim's RA, Mitzy Drake. Surrounding that, couches and easy chairs placed strategically around most of the tables as opposed to the classic restaurant chair. And sitting in one of them was…

"Monique. So this is where you've been sneaking off to," Kim commented softly as she saw her BFF.

"Guilty as charged, girl," the young woman whispered back. "Found this place the first week and been a loyal customer ever since. Particularly on nights when Mitzy does her readings. Girl's got some real talent."

At that moment, Mitzy finished her current piece, and the multitude of snapping that followed gave testament to how appreciated the purple-haired young woman's work was. As she left the stage and came over, she smiled at Kim and Ron.

"Hey, you two, nice to see you. Come to hear some poetry?"

Kim shook her head. "Wasn't our intention, but might be nice. Actually came here to get out of the dorms for a bit."

Mitzy nodded, her beret bobbing slightly. "Understandable. Well, I would recommend one of the blended flavored coffees. Or maybe a chilled Java Icer. Corey knows how to blend them like no one's business."

"Corey?" Ron said as he glanced around, seeing only a woman at the counter.

"Corinna Kaufman, the owner and barista of the Blue Wolf," replied Vinnie James as he and Viktor Tretiov came up, each carrying two drinks. "Fabulous reading, Mitz," he said as he handed one of his drinks to her while adding a kiss on her cheek.

Kim shook her head. "Wait, you and Vinnie are an item?"

"Surprised?" Mitzy replied with a grin. "It's not really that different from you and Ron, you know."

"True," Kim agreed. Now she understood why Nina had been so reluctant to admit the obvious spark between her and the G.V.U. quarterback. The red-head wondered if Vinnie even knew about his best friend's attraction to him, or if he and Nina were simply a reversal of the way she and Ron had been.

Viktor sighed as he handed over his other drink. "So I'm guessing that means they don't know about you and me either, right Snipper?"

Monique turned bright red with embarrassment and hid her face behind her hand. "Vic, what'd I say about calling me that in public?"

Ron blinked a few times. "Snipper?"

Tretiov looked at the young African-American woman, who sighed and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead."

The cornerback smiled. "I met Monique back during the first week because we have the same Biology class and the same lab. Thought she was beautiful right off the bat, all except for the snippiness she kept answering me with."

Kim couldn't resist a giggle. "Monique snippy with a guy she just met who's hitting on her? Couldn't be."

Monique glared at her, and only needed one word to get her BFF to be quiet. "Bachelorette."

Kim's mouth immediately clamped shut as she blushed, Mitzy laughed, and the three guys all scratched their heads. When everyone had calmed down, Tretiov continued.

"Anyways, I started out jokingly calling her "Snipper" because of the way she first replied to my advances. But after we talked a few times before and after class, she finally agreed to go to a couple of movies with me as friends at the beginning of September. That's when I found out about her majoring in Fashion Design, and the nickname took on a whole new meaning and stuck. Then two weeks ago when we had that off week on the football schedule, she at last agreed to a real date and to officially become my girlfriend." He finished the story with a quick peck to Monique's cheek, who couldn't resist a girlish smile.

Kim grinned. "Viktor, why don't you come with us to the Middleton High Homecoming game this Friday?"

Monique cocked an eyebrow. "What, so we can hear Queen B's reaction to me and him? Not interested."

Kim shook her head. "Not what I meant, Monique. And who cares what she thinks. There's obviously a spark between you two."

Monique immediately hit her with a stare. "BFF conference, girl. Now."

The red-head frowned and complied, but not before giving Ron her drink order so he could retrieve the refreshments while they were gone. Once the two girls were out of earshot of the rest, Monique rounded on her friend.

"Girl, what are you thinking?"

Kim was a little confused. "Hey, all I did was suggest that he come to the game with us," she said defensively.

Monique was staring at her like she'd grown another head. "And what do I do if Wade shows up, huh?"

Now Kim understood. "Monique, two things wrong with that statement. One, Wade doesn't go to football games because he doesn't like the sport. And two, Wade knows you two aren't dating, and that if you were to ever date again, it won't be for at least a few more years. He's a lot more mature than that, which also means he's not going to be as affected as you think if you show up to the Middleton game with another guy. Plus, it'll show him you're trying to move forward, something you haven't done since the Cupid Ray was destroyed."

"But what about this summer?" Monique replied a little worriedly. "Girl, I know that meant at least as much to him as it did to me, and it meant a definite HOAL to me."

Kim shook her head. "Mon, trust me. If you're really this worried about how Wade feels, then doing something like this is the best way to figure out exactly what his feelings entail. I'm not saying take Viktor by the Loads' house, but at the very least take the guy to the game. If Wade does care about you as much as you think he does, he's going to accept that maybe you're trying to get a better perspective on what you're looking for in a guy. And I'll bet that he also takes it as a challenge to make himself better."

"I don't know…"

Kim sighed in slight exasperation. "Monique, if you want him to focus on other girls, focus on other guys. Show him that the two of you need to move on and find other people. And who knows, maybe he'll find someone else, or maybe in a few years you two will back to each other. I mean seriously, picture me and Ron when you first met us. Did we really seem that right for each other?"

"Bad example, Kim. I could tell from the moment I met you two that you were gonna at least end up on a few dates."

Kim shook her head. "Okay, different one—Josh and Tara."

"Mankey and Matthews? Also foregone conclusion. As well as foregone conclusion that they'd break up before Junior Prom, especially with him in his first year at SCAD and her still back in Middleton as just a junior in high school. Too much distance there physically and emotionally."

Kim threw up her hands. "Fine! How about Felix and Zita?"

Monique put her finger to her chin. "Well, yes, that one does qualify. Major sparks, but never thought they'd end up together. Took Zita going out with Ron for them to meet."

"See?" Kim replied. "You don't have any idea who's gonna end up with whom until it happens. And I told you that June and Xander only said you two dated, not that you were destined for each other or ended up together permanently."

"Alright, ALRIGHT!" Monique said waving her hands. "I'll invite Viktor. If for no other reason than to get you to leave me alone about it."

Kim smiled. "And I didn't even have to pull the Puppy Dog Pout on you."

Both girls got small headaches, but the minor pains vanished in an instant. Hugging, they rejoined the rest to listen to some of the poetry and prose being read that night.

* * *

Two evenings later found Kim, Ron, Monique, and Viktor Tretiov piled into the Sloth and heading down to Middleton for the Homecoming game. Ron was wearing his tuxedo since the previous year's King and Queen were the ones presenting the crowns this year, while Kim as his escort had dressed in a long, red, conservatively-cut sleeveless dress that complimented her fiancé's outfit. Both also had regular clothes packed in the vehicle's trunk so they could change after the presentations. On the way down, the Sloth popped a flat, but Viktor surprised them all when he had it changed in less than four minutes. When he reentered the vehicle they all stared at him with open mouths.

"What, you don't watch NASCAR?" he said with a grin. "There, changing a tire that slow is a bad thing."

Monique shook her head and smiled as she tousled her boyfriend's blonde hair. "Little word of advice, Vic: that particular skill will get you noticed by most girls."

"Why should I care about them when I already have an amazing girl?" he said with a grin.

Kim and Ron in the front seat looked at each other knowingly. _Yep, definite sparks._

At the game, they got yet another surprise, as they ran into Bonnie and Señor Senior, Jr. just outside the main gate. Junior was his normal self, but Bonnie seemed a bit off. In fact, she didn't even offer the smallest of cut-downs towards Monique and Viktor being an interracial couple, or comment on Monique's housing situation. Instead, she turned towards Kim with a frown on her face.

"K, can I talk to you and Ron for a minute? Alone?"

"Sure, B," Kim said with a smile, all the while expecting the leggy brunette's claws to come out any second. Still, she and Ron followed Bonnie and Junior over to where a black helicopter sat off by itself. Once they reached there, the four stood there for a bit, Junior holding his arm comfortingly around Bonnie's shoulders.

"Kim, I…I…I shouldn't have been crowned last year," she said after a minute. "I…made a deal to rig the votes…a deal with Rieger."

Kim and Ron both looked at her incredulously. They'd had their suspicions of course, but the fact that Bonnie was copping to what she'd done came as nothing less than a complete surprise.

"Bonnie, why would you do that?" Ron asked after a few minutes of very uncomfortable silence.

"Food chain," was all the young woman said.

"Food chain?" Kim hissed. "For the stupid 'food chain' you tried to ruin what Ron and I have?"

Bonnie did the unthinkable and hung her head. "Look, I don't feel good about it, alright K?"

"So why admit it now?" the red-head said through an un-amused stare.

Bonnie sighed, her usual bravado returning somewhat. "Because I felt like it, alright? You two don't know how lucky you have it to be able to go to a campus where everyone knows exactly who you are. Or to be able to do, like, exactly what you want to do."

Despite how angry she wanted to be, Kim felt her feelings towards Bonnie shifting more towards the sympathetic. "Bonnie, we don't want the attention, it just comes at us. We'd actually prefer if it didn't follow us."

The brunette folded her arms around herself, as if shielding herself from the world. "Look, all I wanted to do was become a ballerina near Junior's island, but none of the companies around there will take me unless I can improve, like, a hundred fold. So I tried to get into a university over there, and none of those will take me with the grades I got in high school. And my parents finally got tired of my sisters' mooching, so they kicked them and me out. So I've been basically living with Junior and his dad and doing absolutely nothing and hating it. In other words, my life is going nowhere and I've become the loser."

Ron smiled sympathetically. "Hey, you do have some good things going for you. If you wanted, Junior's got enough money he could support you for the rest of your life."

Junior, who had been silent up to this point, nodded and smiled. "This is true, mi Bonita Corazón."

"And you think I want that?" Bonnie hissed. "Sure, I may really like that my guy has a lot of money, but I'm not going to be anything like my mother: Bonnie Rockwaller will not be just some housewife." She stood completely tall at that point, her determination emanating out from every nook and cranny.

Kim shrugged and frowned. "So then what does this have to do with what you did last year?"

Junior smiled, yet the look on his face told them he was as lost as they were. "Mi Bonita Corazón believes that her recent bad luck is the result of a karmic backlash from all the people she hurt in her days at Middleton, and wishes to begin making amends. This is why she now extends this olive branch to you two."

Bonnie nodded. "Also, I'm sure you know that last year's Queen and King are the ones that are going to be, like, making the crown presentations this year. What you may not know is that before that's done, there's going to be an announcement about why Kim is the one doing the awarding and not me. At least, there will be if K agrees to be the one presenting."

Ron shook his head with the same amazement Kim felt. "So you're going to submit yourself to public humiliation just so you can feel better about yourself?"

Bonnie shook her head, and her snarkiness returned full force. "No, Stoppable. I'm going to do it because I want to get this stupid karma thing to leave me alone and let me get on with my life. So will you do it, K?"

Kim cocked her head and thought for a moment. "Yes. While this isn't perfect, I do think it's a start for you."

She extended her hand in a gesture of peace, and Bonnie reluctantly shook it.

"By the way, I already told your parents about this a few days ago, K, since I didn't know if you'd be dressed up or not. So they're waiting for you with one of the dresses you left here in Middleton over at your mom's minivan."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, B. And I hope things turn around for you."

"Whatever," the brunette threw over her shoulder as she and Junior headed back towards the admissions gate.

"Well that was unexpected," Ron said with a scratch of his chin.

"Not entirely," Kim replied with a small smile. "I told you the girl we were friends with in second grade was still under there somewhere."

"Guess so," replied Ron. "Shall we, my Queen?"

Kim rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Don't tell me you've been saving that since last year."

"Guilty as charged," he replied with a soft kiss to her lips.

Smiling, she slipped her arm into his. "Then lead on, Your Majesty."

**…**  
**…**

The halftime presentation went as expected, with numerous cheers being heard when it was revealed who had really won the title of Middleton Homecoming Queen for 2005. Kim smiled as she presented the crown to the 2006 winner, Jennifer Wilde, a nice girl Kim knew to be a good person both inside and out. Ron also smiled as he presented the crown to the 2006 winner of the King's crown, but he mainly did so because he was supposed to since he didn't know the guy from Adam. When that was done, they both changed back into their normal clothes for the rest of the game. The Lowerton Lemurs gave Middleton one hell of a fight, but in the end the Mad Dogs were just too much and walked away with a victory. As Kim, Ron, Monique, and Viktor were getting ready to leave, they heard a voice behind them.

"Hey, guys," Wade called out.

Kim glanced at Monique, who was wincing slightly before she turned around. When the four of them did turn around, they found an unexpected surprise. Wade was there, of course, but he also had a girl on his arm who looked to be about his age.

"Hey, Wade, nice to see you out of your room," Ron exclaimed as he clapped the younger man on the back.

"All Katrina's idea," the tech genius replied with a smile. "Said that even though I wasn't in school, I should still get out and go to school functions like this. Plus, she threatened to spike my system if I didn't."

Kim smiled while inwardly cringing. The one and only time Wade's system had been spiked before, it had caused him to leave his room for the first time she ever knew of since they'd known each other. The culprits had been Team Impossible, a for-hire hero squad attempting to put Kim out of the hero business, and in retaliation for the spike Wade had trapped them and Team Possible in a recreation of the McHenry laser grid from Kim's first mission. He'd then tossed the remote into the grid, and challenged the three men to retrieve it. After the "professional" heroes declared the trap inescapable, Kim had proven her superiority by pulling the same routine that got her through the first one to shut it off. After that, Dash Demond, Crash Cranston, and Burn Burman had officially joined Global Justice and gone non-profit.

As she began to wonder just how good a computer programmer/hacker this Katrina was, she glanced over at Monique, and was surprised to see that even though she was smiling and greeting the younger girl, there was also a hidden hurt look behind the cordialness in the young woman's eyes. As Wade and Katrina walked off, Kim started to put a hand on her friend's shoulder, but Monique turned away listlessly and headed for the Sloth, Viktor's arm around her shoulders in a gesture of comfort. The whole ride back to G.V.U. was relatively quiet, apart from Ron and Viktor having an Oh Boyz lyrics contest, and even more so once they'd dropped Viktor off at the apartment on campus where he lived. As they drove the rest of the way over to Patriot Towers, neither Kim nor Ron knew what to say.

However, as they pulled in the parking lot, the Wade problem was put out of their minds completely. Two police cars were parked around the main third floor entrance on the front side of the building with their lights flashing, as well as an ambulance with its doors open ready to receive an injured party. Several more police cars were gathered around the backside entrance on the bottom floor, all of them also with their lights flashing. A team of paramedics was wheeling a stretcher out, and on the stretcher was…

"FELIX!" Ron shouted as he dashed forward to his friend's side. "Dude, what happened?"

"Ron-man?" the young man called weakly.

One side of his face was bruised heavily, and it was obvious from the labored status of his breathing that the rest of him probably didn't fare much better. His legs, though he had no use of them, were bent at weird angles, and one of his arms was heavily bandaged.

"Ron…they came…came back," he coughed. "They were…searching your room when…I came in…tried to stop them…but…I wasn't in my cyber…cyber-wheelchair. Made a…a lot of gestures…at…" However, he passed out from exhaustion before he finished.

"Step back, son," one of the paramedics told the blonde. "We're taking him to Upperton Medical. He should be fine, but we need to examine him to be sure."

Kim's hand flew to her cell phone and she quickly dialed, tapping her foot nervously as the rings ticked by. Finally, her intended party answered, and Kim spoke with a determination Ron had rarely heard her display. "Zita, it's Kim…no, I'm fine…but listen, something happened to Felix. We don't know what hurt him yet, but we will find out, I promise…They're taking him to Upperton Medical…Do you want someone to come down there with you?…Okay, but make sure Marcella's the one to drive…Okay, call us when you know."

After she closed her phone, she walked over to Ron and placed her hand on his shoulder. She was surprised to feel him shaking with strong emotion, though whether that feeling was anger, sorrow, or helplessness she couldn't tell. Changing her mind, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and stood there, offering her presence but not intruding on what he was feeling. After a few minutes, he turned around to look at her, and the fire behind his eyes was blazing furiously while they flashed between blue and brown.

"KP, have Wade find D.N. Amy's hideout. I'm not waiting for them to strike at us or our friends and family again."

* * *

a/n

Sorry about the length of this chapter, but there was a lot of info I wanted to pass along with this installment.

As always, comments and reviews are always welcome. And I'm still doing my best to reply to every one I get, as they are greatly appreciated. :)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N

Chapter 13 is up and running!

Team Possible reacts to the attack on Felix.

Sheila learns what's wrong with her unborn children, and the revelation brings an old skeleton out the family closet.

Team Possible does some recon on D.N. Amy, and thanks to Joss they catch a break in the case.

A night out after an unexpected game reveals a few unexpected things.

And then it's time for the fateful trip to see Kim's grandparents, where more than one confrontation will reveal some dark secrets hidden in the Carmichael closet.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Kim's hand flew to her cell phone and she quickly dialed, tapping her foot nervously as the rings ticked by. Finally, her intended party answered, and Kim spoke with a determination Ron had rarely heard her display. "Zita, it's Kim…no, I'm fine…but listen, something happened to Felix. We don't know what yet, but we will find out, I promise…They're taking him to Upperton Medical…Do you want someone to come down there with you?…Okay, but make sure Marcella's the one to drive…Okay, call us when you know."

After she closed her phone, she walked over to Ron and placed her hand on his shoulder. She was surprised to feel him shaking with strong emotion, though whether that feeling was anger, sorrow, or helplessness she couldn't tell. Changing her mind, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and stood there, offering her presence but not intruding on what he was feeling. After a few minutes, he turned around to look at her, and the fire behind his eyes was blazing furiously while they flashed between blue and brown.

"KP, have Wade find D.N. Amy's hideout. I'm not waiting for them to strike at us or our friends and family again."

Kim looked at him, her eyes grimly set. "Ron, calm down. I want to get back at them for Felix just as much as you do, but this isn't the time for rash action. We still don't know what they're after, and if we go in blind we'll be the ones who get caught by surprise. Now take a deep breath and settle down."

Though he didn't want to do it, Ron had to admit Kim was right. Going in now would be like offering themselves up for capture, especially since they still didn't know what item the monkey ninjas and D.N. Amy were after.

"Alright. But you know I don't like this, Kim. It just doesn't sit right, especially since it makes twice now they've raided my room in their search."

Kim nodded. "I know Ron. It's a ferociously messed up sitch, but right now there's nothing we can do about it except keep playing a strong defense."

Monique, who had been silent, placed her hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron, I know this doesn't help, but Felix is tough. I'm sure he'll pull out of this soon, and then you can ask him exactly what happened."

Ron took another deep breath, this one filled with the strength he was gathering from the two young women. "Okay. I just hate that I can't seem to do anything to protect those I care about. I mean, I beat back an alien attack, and yet I can't fend off a bunch of flea-bitten ninja primates."

Kim smiled. "Ron, we'll figure this out. I promised Zita, and now I'm promising you—we will get to the bottom of this."

* * *

Sheila awoke in an unfamiliar bed that had the top elevated, the blinds of the room drawn against the bright lights of Go City at night. Her head felt like she'd just gone ten rounds with Kim Possible's alter ego Lady Kigo with her hands tied behind her back. A sharp, repetitive beeping was going, and glancing over she saw that she was hooked up to several medical monitors. Sheila squinted against the darkness in the room and the harshness of the green and orange lights on the machines. Glancing around, her eyes fell on the one person she wanted to see. He was sitting in a chair next to her bed, and though he was leaned over the edge of the bed and asleep, both of his smaller-than-average blue hands were clasped tightly around her left. Even though his hands were small for a guy, they still were larger than her own, and she relished the warmth she could feel being transferred between them. She took a deep breath, sat up slightly, and leaned over to place a light kiss lovingly on the back of his head.

Almost immediately, he sat bolt upright, so fast that he almost cracked his head against her retreating nose. After glancing around in confusion for a few seconds, he eyes fell upon her smiling visage. Andy blinked a few times, and then pulled his hands from hers to grab her in tight hug.

"Sheila, you're okay!" he exclaimed.

"In a manner of speaking," she quipped with a smile as she returned the hug. "Now where the hell am I?"

He leaned back from her a little. "Go City Memorial. I know your feelings towards using public health institutions, but Hector said that Go Tower didn't have the resources to properly take care of you so we brought you here. And Sheila, there's more." His eyes cast down at her stomach.

"What? What's going on?" she said, suddenly very worried.

"Sheila, both the babies have inherited your particular glow power."

"Well, we knew one of them would based on Xander showing up this summer," she said with a smile. Then she frowned. "There's more, isn't there?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately, they can't control it right now."

She glanced down nervously. "So what does that mean?"

Andy sighed, his uni-brow twitching in thought. "Well, it means for one that when they sense you getting upset their powers will activate. Kind of like some expectant mothers get sicker than normal because their baby is responding to the mother's stress. So we have to somehow keep you from getting stressed out in even a small way until we figure something out."

Sheila looked at him expectantly. "Why do I sense there's something else you want to add?"

He puffed out his blue cheeks. "There is at least one option, but there's no guarantee that it won't take yours as well."

Sheila closed her eyes in disbelief. "The technology behind Aviarius's staff."

Andy nodded. "If, and that's a big if, if I could recreate it, we could use it to remove their powers until they're born. But…nnnngg…there's no telling whether or not we'll be able to give them their powers back."

Sheila shifted against the elevated back of the hospital bed. "But Xander had his, meaning we have to make sure he has them."

Her boyfriend nodded. "Yes…and…erm…we…or at least your brothers…"

"Don't know where Aviarius is," she finished for him.

"Right," he replied solemnly. "And Sheila, there's something else that Hector didn't tell us before, something he did mention when I suggested using the staff to remove the twins' powers."

"What?"

"Sheila, Aviarius isn't the one who came up with that technology—all he did was adapt the original plans which he stole into a handheld form. The main creator was a scientist named…nnnngg…"

"Who?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "C'mon, spit it out."

"It was a woman who used to live here in Go City. Named Dr. Sheridan Godfrey."

Narrowed green eyes had never popped wide in surprise faster.

* * *

Despite knowing that they couldn't go barreling in without gathering more intel, Kim still had Wade run a search on D.N. Amy's current whereabouts. However, all three of her previously known hideouts appeared to have been deserted, including the Mt. Middleton lab, the house in Middleton that she had lived in when she teamed up with Dr. Drakken, and the old Japanese castle she'd used when she'd kidnapped Sensei in her plot to find Monkey Fist. However, of the three, the Middleton house seemed the most recently lived in, so that's where Team Possible found themselves searching on Saturday a week later. In the basement, they found the bio-geneticist's lab in somewhat of a shambles, as if it had been lived in until very recently before being evacuated in a hurry.

Joss righted a control panel of some sort and wiped the perspiration off her brow. "Ah don't get it. It looks like she was here, but now she ain't. And if she ain't, why're we lookin' here?"

Kim sighed as she searched through a pile of scattered papers. "Joss, we still need to see if there are clues to where she might have gone too, or at least a clue to what she's up to. Part of the mission work is gathering intel."

Joss kicked softly at a piece of machinery. "But isn't the type of stuff Wade usually does?"

Ron frowned as he went through a stack of abandoned books. "Normally, yes, but he can only do that if he has something to look for. Right now, we're pretty much going only on the stuff we told you about, and he can't find anything right now with only that information."

The younger woman squatted next to a pile of junk. "So in other words we got nothin' unless we find something here, right?"

Kim nodded. "Yep. And trust us, Joss: we don't enjoy this part of the job any more than you do."

Joss smiled at that. "Guess this is what you meant when you said that a lot of the hero work goes unappreciated."

Ron laughed. "Something like this, yeah."

Lifting a piece of metal, Joss immediately dropped it to the side when she saw the black cloth that had been revealed underneath. "Uh, Kim, Ron, I think you were right about D.N. Amy hookin' up with them monkey ninjas," she said as she lifted what looked like the tattered remains of a monkey-sized black gi.

"Monkeys," Ron said quietly through clenched teeth as he came over to inspect the outfit.

"Looks like," replied Kim as she followed suit. "Now if we just knew why."

Then she looked down, and saw some random bits of a food she recognized but couldn't quite place. Pressing the call button on her Kimmunicator, she smiled when she saw Wade's face.

"Hey, Wade, do you still have that program you used to rebuild the golf ball on the first Killigan mission?"

The tech genius smiled. "Kim, you know I never delete a program unless I develop something better."

Kim nodded. "Okay, then I need an analysis and rebuild of these food scraps."

"Scan ready," Wade replied.

The scan took maybe three seconds, and when Kim turned her Kimmunicator back towards herself, the analysis was already nearly done. The skeleton slowly rebuilt, taking much longer than normal due to the nature of the differences of foods in the world. While that was going, Ron knelt down and inspected the crumbs.

"Kim, we've got not one, but two foods here."

"Two?" she said confusedly.

"Yeah," the blonde replied. "You can tell because the crumbs are aerated differently, meaning two different types of breading."

"I knew there were other perks to being engaged to a chef," Kim said with a smile. "Did you get that, Wade?"

"Got it, Kim" the young man replied. "And he's right. If you separate the crumbs that are different, you get two different items."

The hologram that had been rebuilding the items came up. One was triangle-shaped and had a biscuit texture, and the other was a crumpled and porous flat cake. It took a few minutes for them to place the items until Joss snapped her fingers.

"A scone and a crumpet," she said with a grin.

"How do you know that?" Ron said with a smile and cocked eyebrow.

Joss frowned. "The boyfriend Ah just broke up with, Nigel, is an exchange student from England. The family he was stayin' with always had a fresh plate of these things sittin' around. So's he'd feel more at home, Ah guess."

Kim smiled. "Joss, are you absolutely sure?"

The shorter girl cocked an eyebrow at her cousin. "As sure as Ah am that he ain't worth the cow pies off mah boots. 'Specially since he broke up with me over doin' these missions."

Ron smiled. "Good for you, Joss. The right guy for you is going to accept who you are completely."

"Ah know that, Ron," she retorted with a smile. "Es why I said that Nigel ain't worth the cow pies off mah boots."

"Cow pies?" he replied with a confused look. "Oh, you aren't referring to beef pies, are you?"

Kim shook her head. "Ron, you can be ferociously dense sometimes."

"Hey…" he started to complain, but she silenced him with a kiss.

"Shh…I like dense," she said with a smile. It wasn't that she did, but it was their own little private flirtatious joke, based on the first time she told him she liked weird.

"Uhh, guys, focus here," Wade said when the two relocked lips.

"Alright," Kim said with a good-natured roll of her eyes as she pried her lips off Ron's. "So the question is: who do we know that likes scones and crumpets?"

"Killigan, maybe?" Joss offered. "After all, he is Scottish."

"Nah," Ron replied, "he's more into haggis and stuff like that." The young man cringed as he remembered the time he'd been trying to retrieve Kim's overdue library book and the mad golfer had force-fed him nearly eight full servings of his Granny Killigan's recipe for the disgusting dish. To this day, it was one of the few things Ron would not eat again willingly.

Kim thought hard for a second before an idea popped up. "Wade, who was that guy who was with Monkey Fist the first time we met him?"

Wade immediately pulled up the mission profile. "According to our information, his name is Alfred Bates, and he was the butler to the Fiske family. But that's the only time we ever met him."

Ron frowned. "And where is Mr. Bates now?"

The tech genius typed up the search on another computer. "According to the files we have, he was sentenced to about two years in prison for his part in the first Monkey Fist caper, but then he disappeared off the radar upon his release after only six months served. He got out on good behavior, but hasn't been heard from since. And all known addresses for him are currently occupied by other people who have absolutely no affiliation with him or the Fiske estate."

Kim sighed as she checked the time on her Kimmunicator. "Alright, well keep looking for him, Wade."

Joss smiled. "You think Bates is connected to this somehow?"

Kim shook her head. "No clue. But unfortunately it's the best lead we've got at the moment." She turned to Ron. "Now we need to get back to G.V.U., because the game against Temple starts in about three hours."

"Can Ah come?" Joss said with a hopeful smile.

Kim grinned. "I don't see why not, although you'll have to either find Monique or sit by yourself since Ron and I have to be down on the field. And call Uncle Slim first to let him know what you're doing."

"No big," Joss replied, echoing her cousin's favorite phrase. "Should be a good game to see, 'specially after you guys beat Navy so easily last week. And Ah'll just hop the transport tube home afterwards."

Ron smiled. "Yeah. If you go by the stats, Temple shouldn't be any problem for the guys to handle."

**…**  
**…**

The campus that evening after the game was very subdued, however, after the Owls came in and upset the previously unbeaten Guardians in overtime 31-28, knocking G.V.U.'s record to 6-1. If the team had missed Ron's presence the past few weeks, they had looked completely lost without it this time. Of course, it didn't help that linebacker Jean-Luc Brissart as playing on a banged up knee he'd gotten against the Navy Midshipmen, or that Vinnie James couldn't seem to tell the difference between the blue and orange jersey's of the Guardians and Temple's cherry and white uniforms on his passes as he threw a career high six interceptions. Still, the Guardians kept fighting hard, and it was only a last-second field goal by the Temple kicker that decided the game.

Despite not playing a single minute or even dressing out because of his still banged-up shoulder, the player who probably took the loss the hardest was one Ron Stoppable. It was clear to him from the beginning that while the Owl defense was prepared for the smash-mouth running of Daniels and Highland and for the long-bomb passing of James, he could have easily outstripped every single player on the field with his quickness and agility. The knowledge that if he had confessed to his injury sooner he would have been back out on the field with his teammates as early as the previous week against Navy and could have contributed even more this evening only added to the feeling of guilt. The look on his face was so disheartening that, in the locker room after the game, both Vinnie James and Viktor Tretiov came over to his locker after they'd gotten cleaned up and dressed in their street clothes.

"Ron, it's not your fault," Viktor said with warmth in his smile and in his brown eyes. "I know I should have picked off at least two of their passes on the second drive, but instead I judged it wrong and they scored because of it."

"He's right, Stoppable," Vinnie added as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. "And if I'd been better on my accuracy tonight, three of their touchdowns never happen. Trust me, there's nothing you could have done."

Ron frowned as he ran his left hand over his still-slinged right arm. "Guys, I appreciate it, I do, but I know I could have made a difference out there tonight. I mean you saw it as well as I did: their most agile player could barely match Brent Gundy. And while Brent's got better footwork than most of the team, everyone knows I can outmaneuver him."

"Hey, so can I," remarked Vinnie, "but I didn't do that well either. Ron, one player doesn't make as big a difference here as he does in high school. Tonight just wasn't our night, and everyone who saw the game knows that. To tell the truth, I think we would have lost even if you had been out there with us."

Ron sighed. "Maybe you're right. Still, I know there's gonna be a lot of people blame me for it."

Viktor grinned. "And anyone who does doesn't fully understand the game. Trust us, Ron, the only people whose opinions matter are gonna know there wasn't a thing you could have done. Now, come on, join us at the Pit tonight. I can about guarantee the place'll be pretty empty."

Ron smiled for the first time since the Owls opening score two minutes into the first quarter. "Alright, but only if KP agrees to it."

Both Viktor and Vinnie laughed, though Viktor had enough control over his to still speak. "Man, Stoppable, the way you two act you'd think you guys are already married. Or at the very least that that Finkman guy is right about you two being already engaged."

Ron laughed as well, although he did rub the back of his neck a little nervously. "Nah, just seriously dating is all. We've just always been really tight, so I guess we act a lot closer than most couples."

When the three exited the locker room about ten minutes later, they found Kim waiting for them. Her smile was all Ron needed to perk up back to his normal self, or at least as normal as could be expected after the loss. When he asked, she agreed that hanging out for a bit at the Pit might be a good way to relax a little. When she said it, Ron could tell she also needed to relax a bit, especially with the trip to her grandmother's now less than a week away. At the Pit, they met up with Mitzy and Monique, and the six of them found a table near the back of the club. Eventually, despite everyone trying to avoid it, the conversation did drift to the game.

"All I'm saying is that I really think you might want to get your eyes checked, Vinnie," Mitzy remarked. "It wasn't like you to misjudge your passes so badly."

Vinnie sighed. "Look, Mitz, we just had a bad night. It's like I told Ron after the game, the way we played they could have beaten us any day of the week. And that's even if he had been out there with us."

Mitzy turned towards Ron and frowned apologetically. "Oh, sorry Ron. I didn't mean to bring it up."

The young man grinned. "It's okay, Mitzy."

Monique smiled. "So when do you get your arm out of that thing anyhow?"

Kim patted Ron's good shoulder. "He has an appointment this Wednesday, and the doctor said if everything checks out he'll be ready to restart practice on Thursday," she said brightly.

"And it means I should be back up to full strength by the time we play Notre Dame on November 4th," Ron added with a large grin.

"Good, man, cause the Irish have one of the better pass defenses this year, so you guys are probably gonna be pushing the ground attack," Viktor said with a grimace. "I just hope we can stop that Option offense of theirs."

Monique grinned. "I'm sure you guys'll do fine."

Viktor blinked, then smiled and held out his hand to Ron. "Okay, that's over an hour, so I win. Pay up."

"Aww, man," Ron replied as he handed the other young man a twenty.

"Wait…what?" Kim said with a confused look.

Vinnie laughed. "Me and Viktor were trying to get Ron's mind off the game, so Viktor here had the rather insane idea of betting Ron that for at least an hour after we got here Monique wouldn't use a single acronym."

Monique immediately got a not-amused look. "You bet against me, Viktor?" she said with a frown.

The cornerback held up his hands in defense. "C'mon, Snipper, it was only to get Ron to quit beating himself up about the game."

Kim also fixed Ron with an equally put-off stare. "And you went along with it, Ron?"

"Well…" he stammered nervously.

Mitzy immediately put one hand between each of the two couples. "Girls, bigger picture here. I agree they shouldn't have done it, but you have to admit it obviously got Ron to stop focusing on what he could have done and to stop putting himself down. Right?"

"Yes…" replied Monique in a half-convinced voice.

"I suppose…" echoed Kim.

Vinnie couldn't help but laugh. "Guys, I think you just sold my girlfriend your souls for that save."

Mitzy grinned. "Nah, first one's free. Next time it costs them their first-born."

The whole table laughed now.

When she'd calmed down, Kim smiled. "Okay, but to make up for it, I think Ron owes me a dance or two."

Ron pointed at his arm. "Uh, KP, arm still in a sling here."

She grinned and leaned over to whisper in his ear. His face turned a little red, but he immediately got up and smiled.

"Dance it is. Just…umm…let me hit the restroom first."

He walked away a little awkwardly, and Monique couldn't resist a giggle. "Girl, WDYTH?"

Kim grinned mischievously. "Just something he'd better not repeat if he knows what's good for him. About what I've got on."

The sparkle in her eyes immediately told her BFF what was up. "Girl, you didn't…" Monique said with a smile.

Kim's only response was to wink and grin even wider. And when Ron came out, she led him out on the dance floor, where he proved exactly how bon-diggity a dancer he still was with only one good arm. And later, back in the privacy of his Unit and bedroom, she proved that what she'd told him was completely one-hundred-percent true.

* * *

The next week was a complete and total blur for Kim and Ron. The only miniscule break happened Wednesday night when a mission came in and Kim and Joss took it on alone. Ron wanted to go as well, but Kim put her foot down.

"Ron, you just got out of the sling this afternoon, and the doctor told you to take it easy tonight just in case. Besides, it's only Chester Yapsby causing trouble in Las Vegas, so we should be back before 10:30." With that, she kissed him softly.

Ron sighed but smiled. "Okay. Just let me know the minute you two get back. Even if you don't make it back until 4 AM."

Joss gave him a thumbs-up. "Ah'll make sure she's careful, Ron."

As the girls took off through the air in the Sloth, Ron couldn't help but smile. He knew they'd be safe, and his faith was rewarded when they returned two hours ahead of schedule at 8:30. It turned out Chester had tried to recreate the Rophlex he'd once stolen from Professor Acari, but he had been unable to make the change permanent as the roaches returned to normal size not one hour after Joss and Kim arrived on the Las Vegas strip. It had taken slightly longer to locate Yapsby among the crowded Las Vegas nightlife, but the girls did and now Yapsby sat in the LVPD jail awaiting pick-up by Global Justice. Joss grabbed some late night dinner with Kim and Ron at the Outpost before hopping the transport tube back home to Montana.

The moment Joss left, Ron insisted on a full inspection like she'd given him after her first missed mission back in August, though he also threw in a complete full-body massage along with it. Kim relished the gentle rubbing, a pleasure that was sorely needed considering all the stress she was under about the coming weekend. As she lay there, she was tempted to tell Ron they should call off the "hiatus status" they'd told Wade to put them on during the trip. However, Ron wouldn't hear of it.

"KP, if she already knows, putting it off longer isn't going to help. And if she doesn't, the longer we wait the more likely she is to find out," he said as he gently worked her lower back. "Besides, we specifically set it for this weekend because there's no football game Saturday."

"I know, Ron," Kim said with a sigh. "I just don't want to put you through this. I mean, from what I've heard, Grandma Dorothy raised a ferociously unnecessary stink over my mom and dad, and that was with Daddy only being Baptist. What's she going to do when she finds out you're family is Reform Jewish?"

Ron stopped rubbing her back and laid down next to his fiancée. He smiled at her, and she cuddled up to him with her head pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and slowly petted her hair as he spoke.

"KP, I don't know if you've noticed this, but I've developed some pretty thick skin over the years. It's part of the reason I don't get embarrassed that easily. Well, except for some of the stuff you do to get me to blush."

She giggled at that, and snuggled up closer. He smiled and kissed the top of her head before continuing.

"Besides, what can she throw at me that Bonnie or someone else hasn't already? And regardless of what she says, I asked you to marry me, not her. So no matter how she views me, I'm still going to want to marry Kimberly Anne Possible, the most amazing woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing or being friends with or dating."

Kim smiled, and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Ronnie. I needed that."

Ron gave her one of his goofy grins that he knew she liked so much. "Anytime, KP, cause it's completely true."

Friday morning dawned dark and gray with clouds rumbling above the G.V.U. campus, as if Mother Nature herself could sense the impending storm that Kim and Ron were about to face. They'd originally planned to use the Sloth to fly down to Mississippi so they could leave if they wanted, but Anne Possible had convinced them it would go a long way, at least in Amos Carmichael's eyes, if they stayed the whole trip. So they were boarding a plane like the rest of the clan. Of course, they were taking the Sloth down to Middleton first so that there would only be one vehicle at Denver International Airport. Since the flight left that morning at 11:00, the original plan was to go to their first classes but skip the rest. That, as it turned out, worked out in their favor, since Professor Ryder had their Biology class just doing research for a paper in the library, and Professor Khuluhuboni was out sick and had cancelled College Algebra. And of course, Coach Devereaux and Coach Williams both understood, especially since there was no game the following day.

As Ron sat with the Possibles in the terminal, he couldn't help but notice how agitated Kim seemed. He had caught glimpses of this when he'd picked her from her Unit that morning for breakfast, and more shadows of it when they met after his Cooking class and her Philosophy class. And surprisingly, she'd insisted he be the one to drive the Sloth down to Middleton. Now though, the nervousness seemed to be reaching fever pitch, and she kept twisting her engagement ring (which she was wearing on her right middle finger to throw off any suspicious eyes) back and forth repeatedly. Hoping to help her calm down a bit, he lightly placed his hands on her shoulders and began softly rubbing.

"Ron, I appreciate it, but now's not the time," she said agitatedly as she shuffled her shoulders to get him to stop.

Ron smiled, but Kim's mother frowned. "Kimmie, Ron's just trying to help you relax a little. No reason to bite his head off."

The young man grinned again. "It's okay, Mrs. Dr. P. I know that's the stress talking and not KP."

Kim sighed. "No, Ronnie, she's right," she said as she leaned her head appreciatively on his shoulder. "If anything, you should be the one person who I let help me let go of these nerves."

Ron smiled, and wrapped one arm around her. "Hey, remember what I told you Wednesday night?"

Kim took a deep breath and smiled. "Regardless of what Grandma says, you're still going to want to marry me."

"That's right. There's nothing she can say or do that's going to change my mind. Besides, I have a secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?" she asked with a dry laugh. "And what would that be?"

Ron grinned at Anne Possible. "Your mom told me about one of your grandmother's favorite chicken dishes, as well as coordinating with your Grandpa, Aunt Laura, and Uncle Z. So tomorrow night, I'm fixing up a feast with that as the main course."

Kim looked over at her mother with an appreciative though tired smile. "You rock, Mom."

Anne merely smiled and turned back to her magazine.

**…**  
**…**

The flight down wasn't nearly as smooth as it could have been, but they managed, although they did almost miss their connecting flight in Houston when one of the security guards tried to stop Ron from carrying Rufus in his pocket. Thankfully, the guy's co-worker recognized them almost immediately, and quickly cleared them. He even called one of those shuttle carts to get them to the gate on time. When that plane landed at the Gulfport/Biloxi airport around 4:30 that afternoon, Kim's agitation was beginning to once again approach critical status. As she, Ron, and the Tweebs sat in the lobby with the luggage while her parents talk to the rental car company, she began once again twisting her ring around. Finally Ron had to ask the question he'd been burning with since the first time they'd discussed this trip and the coming confrontation.

"KP, I don't get it. Why are you so nervous about this? I mean, she is your grandmother after all."

Kim didn't respond, but Jim spoke up in his sister's defense. "Ron, Grandma has never approved of a single thing Kim does. She hates that Kim's friends with Monique, she dislikes what she wears, she thinks it wrong that she goes on the missions…"

Tim also spoke up. "…not to mention she doesn't like how Kim acts, or that she spends so much time with…"

"Tim!" Kim bit sharply.

Tim turned on his sister, though he did it softly. "Kim, he has a right to know. Especially with what you two are about tell Grandma and the Colonel."

Kim winced slightly. "I know, but I'd prefer it if I were the one to tell him, okay?" She took a deep breath. "Ron, there's more to her not liking us together than the fact that you're of the Reform Jewish faith. She…she doesn't like that we spend so much time alone together on missions…calls it 'socially wrong and morally reprehensible', and thinks you took advantage of the situation."

Ron smiled. "And what do you think, KP?"

She sighed and smiled back at him. "I think you were there right when I needed you most just like you always have been."

"Then that's what I choose to believe," he answered as he enveloped her in a warm hug that she couldn't help but snuggle into.

At that moment, Anne and James returned, and Kim's mom immediately took notice of the look on the faces of the younger people.

"So I take it he knows the whole story now?"

Kim turned her head towards them, blinked back a tear and nodded, a quivering-lip smile on her face as she continued to enjoy the safety she felt wrapped in her love's arms. As they walked to the car, she kept her steps in perfect time with Ron's, making sure to keep contact with him as much as possible without causing either of them to walk awkwardly. When they piled into the van her parents had rented, she retreated with him to the back seat where they could cuddle a bit. As they started on the relatively short drive to the Carmichael Place on the northern outskirts of Biloxi, six pairs of eyes stared out the windows, taking in the picture before them. It had been a year since Hurricane Katrina had decimated the area, but things were still not entirely up to speed, and the Lorwardian invasion in May certainly hadn't helped matters. While most of the debris had been cleared from yards by this point, there were still numerous buildings with heavy damage to them. A few streets still remained closed, several trees remained knocked over. For Kim and Ron, this was the second time seeing the destruction, as they had come down for a few weeks the year before to help out with the starting clean-up after the hurricane had hit.

Glancing around, Kim shook her head in slow disbelief. "I still can't believe how ferociously much there is left to do down here to clean up from the hurricane. I mean, it's been a year."

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I actually feel pretty bad for them, getting hit with the Lorwardian invasion so soon after Katrina. Speaking of which, you've never told me how your grandparents did during all of this."

Anne sighed. "Thankfully, the actual house part of Carmichael Place didn't take too much damage beyond the wind taking bits of the roof off. And that got fixed pretty quickly. The main problem they had to deal with was they lost quite a few trees."

Now Ron scratched his head. "Umm, just curious, why do you all keep calling it Carmichael Place?

Kim pointed out the front windshield. "That's why."

"Ohhh…" Ron replied as his eyes got just a tad bigger.

Rising before them, behind a neatly trimmed hedge wall, was one of the nicer Southern-style homes Ron had seen in person or in pictures. It was a brilliant two-story affair, with beautiful Ionic-style fluted columns lining the front of the main face of the building. The whole of the house was painted a dazzling white, apart of course from the roof, and looked like it was constantly tended to and washed. Around the large front porch and most of the rest of the house, another 4-foot, flat-top hedge wall provided a nice contrast the grass surrounding them, which was surprisingly still somewhat green. In all actuality, it wasn't so much a house as it was a Southern-style mansion.

Ron whistled in surprise. "Man, this must have been one badical place to grow up, Mrs. Dr. P."

Anne smiled. "It was nice, Ron, but other aspects weren't so great." She trailed off a bit, and returned to staring back out the window.

Kim softly smiled. "Mom and Grandma have never really gotten along, Ron. And since Grandpa was a fighter pilot in the USAF, he was away a lot, so a lot of times Grandma was the only parent she could talk to."

Ron smiled. "You never told me he was Air Force."

Kim shrugged a bit. "Wasn't left out on purpose. I just never thought to mention it I guess. He's retired now, but he still helps out down at Keesler Air Force Base from time to time. Made it all the way to Colonel before he stopped, though, and was one of the best fighter pilots around back in his day. They also say he has a 'Will Roger's mentality' towards most people."

Ron grinned. "'Never met a man he didn't like,' huh?"

She nodded and giggled. "Might be why I like the quality in a certain blonde hottie I know."

Ron laughed at that, and hugged her tight. She returned it, but he could feel the nervous tension she was still holding. He hadn't even seen her this nervous when she was trying to ask Josh Mankey to the dance their freshman year, and that was the most agitated he could ever remember her being. He also noticed that she was starting to nervously tug on the end of her hair, something he hadn't seen her do since junior high. Glancing out the window as James pulled the van into the driveway, he immediately saw why. There was a group of four people waiting for them. He recognized Kim's Uncle Z from having previously met the man when he'd been over to the man's house to have chats with Cousin Larry about various things, and guessed the woman who looked like Mrs. Dr. P. with longer hair and just slightly larger hips to be Aunt Laura. There was also an older couple there, a tall gentleman with very little hair up top and a white mustache, and a woman who Ron could swear was staring right at and straight through him.

The gentleman, who Ron took to be Grandpa Amos, stood a very imposing 6'5", but had the smile and aura of someone who would probably make a good Santa Clause if he were to add a pillow or two under his shirt. He was neatly dressed in a pressed white polo shirt and dark slacks, and looked like someone who could probably live another fifty years just so he could laugh heartily in Death's face. From what Ron could tell of his build, it was obvious he still kept up the fitness he'd most likely dealt with in his Air Force days, and more than likely could probably take out a dozen henchmen if he were called on to do so. He wore a pair of large, rimless glasses that seemed to add to his calming presence. All in all, he looked like the type of man it would be very hard to tick off unless one were really trying, but that if they were successful they should run for the hills.

The woman, on the other hand, gave off a completely different impression. She looked like an older version of Anne Possible, but without the constant, sunny disposition or bright, gleaming eyes. No, this woman looked like the classic version of a battleaxe, her features hard and lined behind wire-rimmed, half-moon glasses. She wore a pale green blouse with a slightly paler green skirt that extended past her knees, and her hair was so neatly combed that it looked like it had been glued in that style. Unlike the rest of the welcoming party, her arms were crossed in a disapproving gesture, and her face lacked the warm, greeting smile. As the Possibles and Ron disembarked, Dorothy Carmichael's stare stayed trained on the young man, and Ron was distinctly reminded of the look on Kim's face when she'd first gotten over the shock of his "secret borrowing" of her first battle suit and had called him a liar, a cheater, and a thief all in one breath. In Ron's mind, there was no mistaking that this was Grandma Dorothy, the woman that Kim was nervous about revealing their engagement to. Seeing the woman also made him understand why just before they got out Kim slipped her ring off her right middle finger and hid it in her pocket.

"Annie!" Amos Carmichael exclaimed in a warm, deep voice accompanied by a hearty smile. "It's been too long."

"Yes it has, Dad," Anne Possible said with a grin and a hug for her father that set off a string of hugs among the family, all except for Dorothy Carmichael, who remained stone-faced and silent with her arms crossed disapprovingly.

"James, my boy, how are you?" Amos continued. "Still obsessed with those expensive missiles?"

James laughed as he shook Amos's hand. "Yes, Sir. Still building and testing rockets. Lot faster than any jet engine."

Amos laughed heartily. "Still the one thing wrong with you, James. When will you learn that nothing beats the roar of a jet engine? And where are Goose and Maverick? Since you made it here safely I'd almost assume you didn't bring them."

"We're right here, Grandpa," the Tweebs said in unison.

"These two string-beans?" he said in surprise as he ruffled their hair at the same time. "I swear, Annie, what are you feeding them, fertilizer? At this rate they'll be as tall as me before too long."

"No, just regular, wholesome food," Anne replied with a smile.

"Sure, you are," Laura commented with a laugh as she came forward to hug her twin sister. "Just like I only give Kylie and Dylan meat and potatoes."

"Where is Dylan?" the Tweebs asked.

"Think he's out back with his dad helping with the barbecue," she replied.

The Tweebs immediately took off around the side of the house.

"And where's my Captain?" Amos said with a smile. "I'd better get in a hug before she has to go save the world again."

"Hi, Grandpa," Kim replied as he bent down and she threw her arms around his neck. "And by the way, we're on a break from the missions for this trip. Speaking of which, sorry we didn't get to come see you last year when we were helping with the clean-up from the hurricane."

"Pshaw," the old man replied with a smile. "Nothing to apologize for, Cap. I know you two were busier than a flight mechanic in a war zone." As they parted he grinned. "Though I am glad to finally meet the young man I've heard so much about."

Ron stepped forward, extending his hand. "Ron Stoppable, Sir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you too. Kim's told me a lot about you as well."

There was a twinkling in those wizened blue eyes. "Hopefully nothing too embarrassing. To be honest, I could probably put your U.N. pants-drop stories to shame with some of the blush-worthy stuff I've done over the years."

Ron smiled. "No, just a few stories about where she gets her adventurous side from."

"HMPH!" Dorothy Carmichael voiced loudly. "If she were a proper young lady, she'd stop these infernal missions. Just not right for a young woman to go out looking for trouble. And getting mixed up with all that bad crowd makes a wrong impression on people."

Anne sighed. "Hello, Mother. Nice to see you too."

"Annabelle, I don't know why you couldn't raise a proper daughter who knows how to behave and dress like a young lady should. All this gallivanting all over the world is completely shameful. Why, if you'd even thought about pulling the stuff you let your daughter get away with, I would have had you locked in your room for a month of Sundays."

Amos turned towards his wife. "Now, D, you and I both know that Kimberly is well-respected for what she does."

"Which is even worse," the old woman bit back. "A proper young woman doesn't use her fighting skills to impress people; she uses her charm, grace, and elegance. And all this time spent in the company of this young man…the shame of it. It's no wonder people draw so many conclusions about you two."

Ron kept smiling under the torrent. However, glancing over at Kim, he could tell the criticism was starting to get to her. He knew her well, and only someone who did would see the internal struggle she was going through. Her smile seemed plastered on, and her posture was that of someone who was secretly bristling while presenting a straight, attentive face.

Dorothy continued. "And the outfit you wear, Kimberly Anne…you might as well have just painted something on with how tight that thing is. Why, it's even worse than that one you used to wear that exposed your stomach."

Amos frowned. "Dorothy, that's enough. They just got here, and already you're tearing into your eldest granddaughter for everything under the sun."

"Well if I don't correct her, who will? Certainly not her parents."

"Mom, that's enough," Uncle Z cut in. "Can't we have at least one family get-together where you're civil with Annabelle and her family?"

Aged green eyes narrowed. "Fine, Zachary. Annabelle, for tonight, I will hold my tongue."

"Mother, can't you at least try for the whole weekend?" Anne said with a smile. "We just wanted to come see you for a nice little visit."

Instead of answering, however, the Carmichael matron turned on her heel and went into the house, letting the door close none too gently in her wake. The minute she was out of sight, Kim turned towards Ron and buried her head in his chest. Ron immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her comfortingly.

"Ron, I can't do it. She's always like this. How are we going to deal with this when she won't even smile at me?"

Amos smiled and leaned in towards his granddaughter. "Don't worry, Cap. She didn't see the broadcast."

Kim immediately stood straight up and stared at him with wide surprised eyes. "She didn't?"

He winked at her. "Lucky for you it was on her bingo night down at the rec center. She asked me to record it, but when I saw what that Finkman gentleman said about you two, I erased the DVR before she got home and claimed I fell asleep and forgot."

Anne smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Amos grinned at Kim. "Oh, and if he was telling the truth on anything that he said, Cap, I'd wait until after Ron fixes the dinner tomorrow night to tell us. Your grandmother is always more receptive to news after she's had a dish she really likes."

As he turned and walked inside, Uncle Z and Aunt Laura both came up and hugged James, Anne, and Kim and shook hands with Ron. Well, Uncle Z shook hands with Ron; Aunt Laura, who he'd only just met moments before, hugged him as if he'd been in the family for years.

"Congratulations," they both said as they pulled back. Then Uncle Z headed around the side of the house while Aunt Laura went in the house.

Kim caught the comments, and turned towards her mother with a questioning eye. "Mom, what did they mean?"

Anne smiled innocently. "About what, Kimmie?"

"Mom…" pushed Kim, her eyes taking on a not-amused look.

James smiled. "Now, Kimmie-cub, when have you ever known your mother to keep a secret like that from her brother or her sister?"

Kim sighed and rolled her eyes. "Please tell me that you didn't tell Grandpa and Grandma."

Anne shook her head. "I didn't, Kimmie, I promise. Doctor's oath and mother's honor. And Laura and Z are under implicit instructions to not tell anyone either."

Kim shifted her weight and folded her arms across her chest. "Not even to Uncle Philip or Aunt June or their kids?" she stated more than asked.

"Not even them," assured Anne. "Especially for Laura not telling Kylie."

Kim breathed a sigh of relief that she knew in her mind was more for show than anything else. "Okay, good. Then I think I'm going to follow Grandpa's advice and tell them after dinner tomorrow." She turned towards Ron. "You realize that means you're gonna have to pull out all the stops in the kitchen, right?"

Ron smiled. "As my bon-diggity lady likes to say, 'No big.' After all, I am ze badical master chef."

Kim laughed a bit. "Okay, Mr. Badical Master Chef. How about we unload and take our suitcases inside?"

After they pulled their stuff out of the van, Anne led the way into the house. If possible, the inside had even more Southern charm than the outside. And for Ron, who had never seen Carmichael Place before, the entrance was like stepping on to the set of some civil war movie like _Leaving with the Breeze_. The foyer held a medium-sized, circular wooden table with a beautiful floral centerpiece, perfectly centered under a glass chandelier. Behind that, there was a pair of mirroring, curving staircases leading up to the second floor, both with polished cherry wood banisters that were run smooth from years of Anne, Laura, and Z sliding down them. Off to the right was a beautiful-looking dining room with a large table big enough to seat sixteen comfortably, and a door beyond that which most likely led to the kitchen. To the left, a large living and drawing room with dark blue cloth furniture, all except for a single black leather recliner that faced the television, as well as an easel with a half-finished painting of a seaside sunset and a desk table with a magnifying lamp and a mostly completed model of a P-51 Mustang.

"This place is badical boo yeah material, KP," he said as he turned around slowly at the base of the stairs.

Kim smiled as they headed up to the second floor. "Been in my mom's family since the 1840's. During the Civil War it was actually on both sides of the conflict, being a plantation at the beginning and a part of the Underground Railroad by the end. Supposedly there are still a couple of hidden passages and rooms to find."

Anne shook her head. "Kimmie, don't go getting any ideas. I'm sure that your grandmother knows every single nook and cranny of this house top to bottom, and the last thing you two need is for her to find you alone in some secret tunnel."

James grinned. "You just don't want her to find the one with our names inside a heart on the wall."

Anne blushed. "James!" she said like an embarrassed school girl.

Kim smiled. "Mom, I found that one when I was ten."

Her mother drew herself up to her full height. "Well, be that as it may…considering what you came here for, it would probably be a good idea if the two of you didn't go looking for secret passages until after tomorrow night. Ah, here we are."

They'd come upon a series of rooms, one of which had "Anne" on a plaque on the door.

"Kimmie, according to Grandpa you're staying in my old room, and your father and I will be in the one across the hall. The twins will be in the one next to ours, while Ron, you'll be in the one next to Kim."

Ron, who had carried Jim and Tim's suitcases as well as his own, deposited the Tweebs suitcases in their assigned room before heading into his. Kim was tempted to follow him in, but decided it wasn't a good idea at this particular juncture and headed into hers. It turned out to be a good thing, because she found her grandmother sitting on the bed in her assigned room.

"Kimberly Anne, please shut the door and sit down," the grey-haired woman said with a frown.

Kim nodded and sat down, instantly feeling like a criminal under interrogation.

"Kimberly Anne, I can tell by the way you're acting that something is going on between you and that boy your parents saw fit to bring along. And I will tell you right now that there had better be nothing happening this weekend. Furthermore…"

At that moment, Anne came through the door. "Kim, the rest of us...Mother! Can you not give Kim five minutes of peace without…"

Kim raised her hand. "Mom, it's okay. She wasn't doing anything."

Anne crossed her arms and glared at her mother. "Kim, I want to have a word with her if you don't mind. Alone. Take Ron and your father and go down to the barbecue."

Kim started to protest, but the complaint died in her mouth when she saw the lightning being exchanged in the stares the two older women were giving each other. She quickly and quietly moved her suitcases off to the side out of the way, and did exactly what her mother had directed. A few minutes after she left, Anne blew out an exasperated breath.

"Mother, I don't know why you feel the need to take out your frustrations at me on my daughter, but I want it to stop. Yes, I went to college out of state when you and Dad had me all set to go to Ole Miss. Yes, I became a doctor when you wanted me to become a missionary. And yes, I married the first guy I ever dated for more than a year."

"More than a year?" the old woman huffed. "Annabelle Marie, you married the first guy who told you he loved you and actually meant it!"

"AND WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, MOTHER?" Anne practically yelled. "James and I are happy together. We were happy then, and we're happy now. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because that boy took you off of God's path with his false religion! If not for him, you don't take a job that has you working on Sunday!"

"False religion? Mother, listen to yourself! We still go to church every single Sunday morning. Do you realize that is the _one time _I've told the hospital to never schedule me or any of my appointments? That despite the fact that I'm considered the best neurosurgeon at the hospital by my peers, I don't go in until after the service lets out? I could fill up a book with the number of accident victims over the years who have had to go under the knife of my colleagues instead of mine because of that, and while I would trust them operating on my own brain, I know I could have wrapped it up cleaner and faster! And I do that because of you! Because of your obsessed view of no work on Sundays!"

"Which is the way it should be!" her mother retorted. "The very fact that you agree to work on Sunday afternoons perverts the Lord's commandment, and I pray every night that you will see the light!"

Anne puffed out her cheeks as she shook with her angered disbelief. "Mother, I get that you don't like how I choose to live my life, but it's my life! And furthermore, it's up to me and James how we choose to raise our daughter! Have you ever stopped to notice how many people she's saved over the past five years? How many times she's made the world better? Or have you ever thought about how many people come up to me or James and say, 'I hope my daughter grows up to be just like your Kimberly.'?"

"So she leads another generation into sin! That's just perfect!"

That blew the gasket in Anne's mind. "INTO SIN! MOTHER THAT IS YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST MORALLY RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE ON THE ENTIRE PLANET! HOW IS IT THAT DAD CAN ACCEPT THAT KIM MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE WITH WHAT SHE DOES WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE PAST THE FACT THAT HER PARTNER IN ALL OF THAT IS A BOY?"

"Because I know what she really does on those missions of hers, that's why," Dorothy said calmly. "It's the Devil's work, and I'm surprised you have yet to open your eyes and see it."

"WHAAAAAAT?" Anne yelled lividly at the top of her lungs, so loud that the group outside, who had been so far doing a good job of ignoring the commotion, couldn't help but pause for a second and wonder just what was happening.

"Annabelle, if you had half a brain you'd put two and two together and realize that the only reason those two started dating was so they could feel just slightly less sinful for sharing an unwedded bed on those so-called missions."

Anne Possible needed five deep breaths while she glared at her mother before she could reply. "Mother, I'm telling you right now: if you voice one word of that falsehood to my daughter, I promise you that I will do my absolute best to make sure you never bother her or any of my children ever again." She turned to leave, and paused with her hand on the door. "And to be honest, I find it completely sickening that you believe any of the trash that Willie Finkman has said about her or the wonderful young man she's with. He's known as 'Willie the Weasel' for a reason, and even you should know that your granddaughter has a thousand times the moral fiber of that lying snake. And if any of what he says is true, it would only be the good parts."

She exited, slamming the door behind her. Once out in the hallway, Anne's brave face broke completely, and she walked slowly into the room she and her husband would be using for this trip. Once inside, she closed the door slowly and sat on the bed, burying her face in her hands and letting the tears she had been holding back come forth. If not for her father and her brother and sister, she knew she would be packing up her family and her daughter's fiancé and heading to a hotel for the rest of the trip. The very idea that her own mother thought those things about Kim tore at her heart, and she couldn't help but offer up a soul-driven silent prayer that the rest of the weekend would only improve.

**…**  
**…**

Down in the backyard, Amos Carmichael sighed wearily when he heard the door slam loudly and shook his head. As James went inside to check on Anne, he turned towards where Ron and Kim were sitting and talking to his other granddaughter Kylie Quinn. The skinny, raven-haired seventeen-year-old was telling her cousin and the young man about her current senior year in high school and asking questions about college.

"Ronald, if you don't mind, I'd like a word with you about my granddaughter. Would you care to take a walk with me?"

"Sure, Sir," Ron replied with a smile.

Kim got up to go with them, but her Uncle Z shook his head.

"Kim, I know you want to help him, this is something Ron has to do alone."

She nodded her understanding, and returned to the conversation she'd been having with Kylie. She was understandably still nervous about the sitch, but something about the way her mom's brother had made his statement made her feel slightly better about what was about to happen.

After Ron and Amos had gone a few blocks and were sure that no one, including Kim, was following after them, the old gentleman turned towards the young man and smiled with a sigh.

"Ronald, I'm going to ask some things you may be uncomfortable answering, and I would very much appreciate it if you told me the truth."

* * *

a/n

To those offended, I apologize, but certain aspects had to be brought out into the open for Kim and Ron to deal with. And I assure you, I am not attempting to put anybody down with my writing-I am merely fleshing out characters.

As always, reviews and comments are more than welcome - they're greatly appreciated. :)


	14. Chapter 14

A/N

Chapter 14 is up and running!

Ron has a heart-to-heart talk with Grandpa Amos.

Some nefarious plans from a group of schemers are put into motion.

Kim has a late-night discussion with her Aunt Laura, revealing a surprising possible way out.

Kim and Ron finally tell Grandma Dorothy about their engagement.

Sheila has a little time for her thoughts.

And then another vital clue makes itself known.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Down in the backyard, Amos Carmichael sighed wearily when he heard the door slam and shook his head. As James went inside to check on Anne, he turned towards where Ron and Kim were sitting and talking to his other granddaughter Kylie Quinn. The skinny, raven-haired seventeen-year-old was telling her cousin and the young man about her current senior year in high school and asking questions about their college.

"Ronald, if you don't mind, I'd like a word with you about my granddaughter. Would you care to take a walk with me?"

"Sure, Sir," Ron replied with a smile.

Kim got up to go with them, but her Uncle Z shook his head.

"Kim, I know you want to help him, this is something Ron has to do alone."

She nodded her understanding, and returned to the conversation she'd been having with Kylie. She was understandably still nervous about the sitch, but something about the way her mom's brother had made his statement made her feel slightly better about what was about to happen.

After Ron and Amos had gone a few blocks and were sure that no one, including Kim, was following after them, the old gentleman turned towards the young man and smiled with a sigh.

"Young man, I'm going to ask some things you may be uncomfortable answering, and I would very much appreciate it if you told me the truth."

Ron nodded but said nothing, sensing that this was what Kim's grandfather was expecting.

"Ronald, from the moment you arrived, I've sensed something different about my granddaughter, and I suspect it has a lot to do with you. And, well, I feel I need to ask about that. You know Kimberly is my oldest granddaughter, correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

The old man nodded. "Well, something you might not know is that because she is, I tend to be a bit more protective of her, almost to the level her father is. And to tell the truth, when I first heard about you and her dating, the first thing I wanted to do was fly up to Colorado and put you through an interrogation. Especially considering the two of you started dating fairly quickly after she broke up with that Erik fellow."

Ron frowned. "But Mr. Carmichael, you do realize that guy was a fake sent at her by Dr. Drakken, right? He was nothing more than a Synthodrone, an android of sorts designed to act human whose sole purpose was to toy with Kim's emotions."

Amos shook his head. "No, I did not, but that also makes what I'm about to ask all the more important. I know my Captain got hurt by that guy, and if he was a fake as you say, she was probably hurt worse than I knew. Honestly, man to man, do you feel you took advantage of the situation and her heart being vulnerable and exposed?"

Ron frowned again. "Sir, if I thought that, I wouldn't have broached the subject. Would I have told her my feelings? Yes, but I would also have suggested that we take a little time before we started dating so that she could recover. My main objective that night was helping her realize that just because she got played it didn't mean there wasn't a decent guy out there for her. My main concern has always been KP's happiness."

"KP," Amos echoed thoughtfully. "Just from the way you say that nickname for her, I can tell she means a lot to you. Now, the next question might be a little tougher. What if things don't work out between you two? What will you do then?"

Ron sighed as he started half-heartedly kicking a rock down the sidewalk. "I honestly don't know, Sir. I mean, I'd like to hope that we stay friends regardless, but I also know we both have a lot invested in this. And I also think that whatever could split us up would have to be something pretty brutal. I mean, I know I love your granddaughter with everything I am, every beat of my heart and every fiber of my being. And I'm positive she feels the same about me. So if something did happen to break us up, it would have to be something incredibly harsh."

Amos grinned, his blue eyes twinkling appreciatively. "Son, that's just the kind of honest answer I was looking for. It tells me you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep her happy."

Ron smiled. "I'd sooner die than hurt her, Mr. Carmichael. I'd do anything to protect her."

"I imagine you would, young man," Amos replied with a nod. "Now, this next question I'm not even sure if James has asked you, but considering what I know about my wife, I'd rather ask you myself now so I can be prepared for her reaction. Is there any reason at all that I won't see my granddaughter in a white dress?"

Ron took a deep breath, knowing this was the time to address another issue as well. "Sir, I want to see her in white just like you do. And I also want to be able to tell the truth when I wear the white rose and the white yarmulke."

Amos stopped in surprise. "White yarmulke?"

Ron smiled. "Sir, I don't know if KP's ever told you this, but my family's Reform Jewish. We go to Temple and we celebrate Chanukah and Passover, and we try to observe as many Jewish customs as we can. The only thing we don't really do is eat kosher."

Amos sat down on a sidewalk bench. "Boys, these old legs get tired easily. Ronald, I have to ask something. Are you going to require that Kimberly convert to your faith?"

Ron shook his head determinedly. "No, Sir. I believe that's her decision, and I'm not going to push her either direction. To be honest, she and I have talked about this, and came to the conclusion that if we're supposed to be a dual-faith household, that's what we'll be. And any kids that may come along will have a full choice on the matter."

Kim's grandfather scratched his chin. "And what if she asks you to convert to her faith? I know from what you said she probably won't, but what if she did?"

Ron sighed and leaned against a street sign. "Honestly Sir, I don't know. I mean, I've been to church with her and her parents, and I respect the views of Christianity, but I just don't know if I could follow those beliefs with my heart. I mean, I feel that if I tried, I'd be lying to God and to those I know. And I just can't do that, not about something that big."

Amos nodded. "Very well answered, my boy. Now, final question, and then we need to head back before they send out a search party. Or worse, send my granddaughter to search for us."

Ron laughed at the joke. "What is it?"

The old man fixed the blonde with a serious stare. "Ronald, be honest with me here. Is there any truth to what Willie Finkman has been saying these past three weeks? Anything at all?"

Ron took a deep breath. "Sir, I'd feel much better if KP were here with me when I answer that."

Amos nodded, not breaking his gaze. "I understand that, young man, but unfortunately my wife watches Captain like a starving hawk at all times. And I know there's something to this trip this weekend—I can see it in Cap's eyes. So before my wife hears about it, I need to know what's going on so I can try to help you out against her reaction."

Ron nodded, and took a deep breath. "Sir, I…I asked your granddaughter to marry me. And she said yes. We've actually been engaged since June 2nd of this year. The reason we haven't gone public yet is she wanted to tell you and your wife in person and I want to tell a member of my family in person so that we can know the backlash is coming and can be ready to face it. KP has a badical amount respect for you two, and she knew it would be better to hear the news from us than to hear it from some low-brow press release that might distort the story. Plus, she wanted especially for you in particular to hear it from us so that you didn't learn about it during one of Mrs. Carmichael's rants."

For a few minutes, the look on Amos Carmichael's face was hard to read. Then he broke into large grin, and pulled out a cell phone.

"Hi, June. Can I talk to Zachary, please?…Z, I need you to do me a favor. Tell Annabelle to send Kim to the corner grocer for some napkins, and then distract your mother so she doesn't follow…Yes, I know about it. Ronald just told me…Yes, I understand, Son, but I need to be able to congratulate her without your mother jumping down her throat…Okay, let's say I owe you one…Fine, it's a deal…oh, just a second…"

He turned to Ron. "Z says he'll do this on one condition. You join the men of the family on a fishing trip tomorrow morning."

Ron smiled. "Deal, but I have to warn you I'm not that good at it."

Amos laughed before returning the phone to his ear. "He says that's fine…okay, thank you, Son."

He pocketed the phone and got up to stretch his aging muscles. "Well, I'd say we'd better hurry if we want to catch Captain at the grocer. Is she still as fast going through the store as she used to be?"

Ron laughed. "As long as she's not shopping at Club Banana."

Amos joined with a hearty laugh of his own. "Women and clothes shopping, my boy. Fact of life."

With that the two men began walking quickly back the way they had come. On the way back, they made a stop by the corner grocer to meet up with a red-head who was very special in both their eyes.

* * *

Back at G.V.U., a pair of girls and a guy sat at a table in Sentinel Station. On the table before them was a set of lists.

"Are you sure these schedules are accurate, Rach?" Bricin said as she scanned the piece of paper. "I mean, if they are, those two are taking an insane amount of hours this semester."

Rachael nodded, her gum smacking loudly. "Positive. I tailed each of them for nearly two weeks apiece. And I already have confirmation that they are going to Vinnie James and Mitzy Drake's Halloween party on Tuesday at Vinnie's apartment. Right, Nate?"

Nate grinned. "Yep. And I've been invited, so if you two come as my dates, you get in as well."

Bricin eyed the young man. "And who says we wouldn't get in by ourselves?"

Nate returned her cocked eyebrow. "Unless one of you has a secret friendship going with either Vinnie or Mitzy that I don't know about, you won't even get through the door. Both of them are keeping a closed guest list on this to keep it from getting out of control. I mean, Vinnie's place is pretty big, but they don't want anything like is going to be going at the Pit that same night. According to Vinnie, they actually debated whether or not to make it a 'no alcohol' event, but then they figured some of the people they invited wouldn't want to come if that were the case."

Bricin frowned. "But Rach, even if this plan is as foolproof as you say, we still need to know what they're dressing as. I mean, I may have Kim's hair color and eye color, but I can about guarantee Ron's going to notice if I'm in a different costume. Even if we can pull this off, that's going to tip him off pretty quick."

Nate also frowned. "Plus, we know from what we've read that they dress in matching costumes practically every year. I think the only time I ever heard of them not doing that was their freshman year when she had to deal with that Centurion Project thing."

Rachael grinned. "That's why we have to find out what they're doing on Monday. I'll take Possible. Nate, you'll take Stoppable. And Bricin, you've got that girl Possible's rooming with who's in your Biology class."

Bricin sighed. "Why do I have to be the one stuck with Monique? I'd rather get Ron. I have been talking to him a lot in our Business class, you know."

Rachael eyed the red-head. "Because both you and I want him. And I know if you get him for this you'll make a play on him early. I already don't like the fact you got a class with him."

Bricin shrugged and smiled. "Just lucky I guess. That, and I know he has a definite thing for red-heads. Still, I'm not convinced he won't be able to tell I'm not Kim just because I dress like her."

Rachael smiled. "It'll work, Bricin. According to Possible, this trip they're on this weekend is going to try both their nerves. Between the alcohol and the stress, they won't even realize what's going on until it's too late. And then we just take what we want."

**…**  
**…**

A few feet away, a raven-haired beauty nearly spit out her drink in surprise at what she'd just heard. The girl she was eating with nearly did the same.

"Did you hear that, Q?" Nina asked with a look of worry.

"Sure did," the brunette said with a frown. "Looks like Dack wasn't the only one looking to split them up. I knew Garreth was being too nice to Kim these past couple of weeks. She's been setting her up the whole time."

Nina shook her head. "Hate to say it, but I'm more worried about Lambert now. I never really noticed this before, but she and Kim do look an awful lot alike. And you and I both know how hard it is to tell people apart when drinks are involved."

Emily sighed. "Don't remind me. I still have nightmares about that night. But the bigger question is how do we help out Kim and Ron? I mean, Jack's already taking me to the Pit. What does Aaron want to do?"

Nina slumped back in her chair and sighed. "Don't know, don't care. He and I broke up yesterday." Then she sat up a little straighter. "Guess that means I could ask Vinnie if I could come to the party. Although me and Mitzy haven't always gotten along. At least while she's dating Vinnie we haven't. She still gets worried that I'm going to sabotage them somehow."

Emily put her hand to her chin. "Maybe if you tell her why she'll be okay with it."

Nina sighed. "I can try I guess. At the very least I can use the conversation to warn Vinnie what those three are up to."

* * *

Kim sat up in a cold sweat, her heart beating fast. Although it had just been a dream, or rather a nightmare, the idea of becoming Kigo again was still a deep fear. Even worse was what she'd done to Ron in the dream while she was Kigo. She glanced at the clock, and saw that it was barely 5:00 AM. Meaning that back home it was only 4:00 AM.

_Drat._

If they were back at G.V.U., she could at the very least talk to Monique about the dream. Or maybe she could have gone to Ron's Unit to talk to him. But no, they were still in Biloxi at Carmichael Place. That meant that she was still under the ever-scrutinizing eye of Grandma Dorothy, and any attempts to talk to her love at this hour would be viewed in the completely wrong light.

Muttering under her breath, she reached for her dark purple bathrobe. At the very least, she was going down to the kitchen to grab a snack. She winced slightly as she stepped off the warm carpet of her mom's old room onto the cold hardwood of the hallway floor, and wished again that she had thought to bring her slippers. She smiled when she heard snoring coming from Ron's room. The blonde could normally give Paul Bunyan a run for his money with the number of logs he sawed, though unlike most snores she heard, Ron's sleeping sounds were more of a comfort for Kim than an annoyance. She padded down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the dining room. In the kitchen, she found a fruit basket, and after squeezing one to make sure they weren't wax decorations she grabbed a handful of white grapes and put them in a bowl. Then she got a glass of water from the tap, and headed into the dining room for her snack. Upon sitting down, she jumped in surprise when she heard a voice and realized she wasn't alone.

"Can't sleep, Kim?" her Aunt Laura said with a smile. Her mother's twin sister was sitting there at the table with her own glass of water.

Kim smiled. "No, I just had a bad dream."

"About what Grandma's going to say when she finds out about you and Ron being engaged?"

Kim shook her head. "No, though to tell you the truth I'd almost prefer that to this."

Her mom's twin laughed quietly. "Must have been some nightmare then."

Kim realized what she had just said and joined in the quiet mirth. "Scary, huh?"

"Ferociously," her aunt teased. "So, have you given any thought to how you're going to tell her?"

Kim shook her head. "No. How did you tell her that Uncle Phillip was Catholic?"

The older woman smiled. "Wouldn't recommend doing it that way, Kim. We just kind of flat-out told her that he was and I was converting all in one breath. I don't think she stopped ranting and raving for days after that."

Kim sagged in her chair. "Has she always been like this?"

Aunt Laura smiled. "No, not always. When we were younger she used to smile a lot more. Then your mom and I became teenagers, and something just changed. I don't think we've ever figured out what it was, or why it happened, but she just became different. And I think the worst part is that she started taking it out on Anne shortly after you were born, and now it's been transferred to you. And every time she and your mother talk now, it turns into a shouting match. Z claimed at first she was just trying to prepare us for the world, but even he agrees now that it sometimes seems to go a lot deeper than that."

Kim sighed. "I just don't get why nothing I do ever seems to make her happy. I mean, she almost doesn't even recognize me as being related to her."

Aunt Laura shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you there, kiddo, other than I know she doesn't go that far. She still sees you as her granddaughter, and always will regardless of what you do or don't do. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if maybe she just wants Anne to prove that she's raised you to be strong enough to stand up to her."

Now the young woman was puzzled. "She wants me to stand up to her? But she's always telling me that, quote, 'A young lady should use her grace and not her attitude to impress people.' Close quote. Wouldn't standing up to her be contrary to that?"

Another shrug. "Like I said, it's only speculation, Kim. I just know that she doesn't come down on Kylie or Dylan or Larry or the twins anywhere even close to being nearly as hard as she does on you. I mean, yes, she criticizes them sometimes, yes, but not to the degree she does you. But I sometimes wonder if she pushes you so hard because you've never shown her the inner strength here that we all know you use on your missions. I guess what I'm saying is that Grandma might be wondering and worried that maybe you might let certain people push you around a bit."

Kim nearly choked on a grape. "That's…that's absurd! Ferociously absurd! Beyond ferociously absurd!"

Aunt Laura merely shook her head. "Kim, I want you to look me in the eye and honestly tell me something. If wasn't for that Rockwaller girl you kept complaining about in high school, would you and Ron have gotten together sooner?"

Kim wanted to answer no right away, but something held her back. Hadn't the whole reason she fell for Er…that thing so quickly been because she was freaking out about Bonnie's supposed food chain? And hadn't she been worried about going to her Junior Prom with Ron because he was her "just a friend"? For that matter, why had it taken Dr. Bortal's Moodulator getting stuck on her neck to make her even begin to picture Ron as even having a faint possibility of filling the role of being a good match for her?

The older woman could see the wheels turning in her niece's head. "I'm right, aren't I? Whether or not you want to admit it, Kim, what you told that reporter during your interview back in May held a lot more truth than you realize. You're a normal teenage girl, and you're subject to the peer pressure like everyone else. But unlike everyone else, you've proven you have the strength to go beyond that when you go on missions, and when you stand up for Ron when others put him down. And yet you still let others dictate what you saw as acceptable relationship material. As I've said numerous times, I'm just guessing at this, but I sometimes wonder if Grandma isn't just waiting for you to stand up and show her that you won't be pushed around just because someone pressures you."

Kim thought about that for a moment. "But if that's the case, why doesn't she accept the fact that I've refused to change as proof?"

"I couldn't tell you that, other than maybe saying she wants you to show that same conviction when you talk to her. I mean, consider yesterday before she and your mom had their big fight. From what Anne told me about it, Grandma was berating you again, and yet what did you tell your mother when she walked in on the two of you?"

Kim sighed. "I told her Grandma wasn't doing anything wrong when I knew she was."

Her aunt nodded. "See? I know it may have been a suicide gambit, but what would have happened if you'd told your mother, 'I can handle this,' and then had the discussion with Grandma yourself?"

Kim had no immediate answer, and sat there silently for a moment. "I…I don't really know. I mean, I've never done that before with her."

"Exactly. Just a guess, but what would happen if, when she starts to rant and rave about Ron tonight after you tell her about the engagement, and you know she will, you stood your ground and told her what's what? You already know what will happen if you just let her tear into him, so why not try a different tactic, just to see what happens? Who knows, it might just be the spark she's been trying to draw out of you for the past fourteen years."

Kim eyed her aunt suspiciously. "Fourteen years?"

Aunt Laura smiled. "Kim, fourteen years ago is when you became friends with Ron when no one else at your pre-school would. And you told everyone that when you told us about him. Your exact words were, 'He's weird, but I like him. And I'm going to be his friend even if no one else will.' I may be wrong, but I think that's when Grandma started pushing at you, and I think she's been waiting for you to push back. And what better time than telling her that you've found the man you want to spend the rest of your life with? The worst she can do is pull out the same ranting and raving routine she's always pulled, right?."

Kim frowned. "I suppose. I guess I need to think about it some more." Then she smiled. "Thanks, Aunt Laura."

With that, she hugged her aunt and put her dishes up before heading back up the stairs to try for some more sleep. As she lay there, she couldn't help but think over what she'd just been told. Had all her grandmother's criticisms and pushing really been an attempt to bring out her stronger side? Before she did anything like that, she needed to have a serious talk with Ron, just in case it backfired.

**…**  
**…**

When Kim awoke for the second time a few hours later around 9:00 AM, she found Ron wasn't in the house. Nor for that matter were any of her male relatives; even Cousin Larry was gone, and he'd always been the odd man out on Carmichael male outings. In fact, the only male in the entire household was Rufus, who was curled up in a ball and nestled in the crumpled form of one of Ron's signature red hockey jerseys. Upon further exploration, she found only Kylie, Aunt June, and her grandmother in the house.

"Mom and Aunt Annie went off on some reminiscing tour of the city about an hour ago, and all the guys went out on a fishing trip earlier this morning," her cousin told her. "They should all be back around noon or so."

Kim sighed out her frustration. Shortly after she'd awoken the second time, she'd decided that she might as well try what her aunt had suggested. After all, the woman had a point: they knew what Grandma Dorothy's reaction would most likely be if Kim just sat there and let the woman tear into all of Ron's faults. And while Ron could most likely take whatever the old battleaxe could dish out, Kim also didn't want to see him have to go through that from a member of her family. Plus, she knew that regardless of what happened, she was going to marry Ron with or without her grandmother's consent. So the sooner she laid the cards on the table, the better. In fact, it was only her strong need to have Ron by her side when she did it that prevented the red-head from confronting the woman right now.

Kim spent the better part of the morning killing time with various things. She and Kylie played a few hands of cards, as well as a heated game of chess with Grandpa Amos's quartz and obsidian chess set. Kim also passed the time by reading through _Les Misérables_ for Professor Barkin's class, though she couldn't quite keep her mind focused on tales of Jean Valjean's dealing with various trials with such a large test of her own looming so close in her future. She even passed about half an hour playing a bit with Rufus, who was relatively bored with nothing to do around the guestroom Ron was staying in. He'd been asleep most of the day before, a victim of his own poor planning as Ron had informed her that the mole rat spent practically all of Thursday night playing Everlot, and they had yet to introduce him to her grandmother. And given what they already knew, that seemed the kind of announcement that probably needed to occur when both Kim and Ron could face her as well.

Around noon her mother and Aunt Laura returned with the ingredients for the dinner Ron was preparing that night, and approximately thirty minutes later the men returned, carrying what looked like a sizeable haul of fish. Incredibly, the biggest catch of the day belonged to one Ron Stoppable, who had managed to nab a rather impressive fifteen pound largemouth bass.

"Not very good, my foot," laughed Amos as he walked in behind the young man. "Catches a fifteen-pounder on his fourth try after getting his first three casts caught in the trees."

James grinned as he followed. "I told you, Amos. The young man has the world's best dumb luck."

Kim smiled. "I take it you had a good trip?"

Ron grinned. "Yeah, although I think your grandpa might be trying to rig the Air Force game."

"Pshaw," the old man retorted with another full laugh. "I just don't want you take it easy on them, that's all."

Kim nodded, and then pulled Ron aside. "I need to talk to you about tonight," she whispered. "You and Grandpa both."

Ron nodded his understanding. "Hey, Mr. Carmichael, can I give you a hand with cleaning these bad boys?"

The old man laughed. "Sure thing, my boy. Let's just get them out to the chophouse and we'll get started."

The chophouse was actually just a shed out back that Kim's grandfather kept ready for preparing various meats and game. Surprisingly, despite its purpose, the inside constantly smelled of fresh cedar. Kim gave the two a few minutes so as not to draw suspicion, then went out there herself, closing and locking the door behind her when she entered.

"Well, Cap, I say it's up to you," her grandfather replied with a sigh after she told them what she planned to do. "Laura Beth might be on to something, but I don't know if I'd go quite that far. If your grandmother is pulling something like that, she's been planning and waiting for quite a long time."

Ron smiled as he scaled one of the fish. "I agree, but Kim's right about her aunt's argument. We do know what will happen if we sit there and let Mrs. Carmichael chew us out over it. If we do it this way, there's a chance she won't."

Amos rubbed the top of his bald head. "Well, if you want to do it that way, I'll support you. Just don't do it until she starts her ranting, Cap. Otherwise she might think you're being cheeky, and trust me, that will be the last thing you want."

Kim smiled. "I know, Grandpa." She turned to Ron. "You realize this puts more pressure on your cooking, right?"

Ron grinned. "Always cook better under pressure, KP, you know that. Besides, I look at this the same way I look at your birthday dinners. Only with maybe a little more seriousness involved."

Kim couldn't resist a giggle. "Well then I think we'd better call the residents of Olympus, because I think ambrosia may end up on the menu."

Amos squinted as he yanked a fish's bones out by nothing more than its head, surprising both teens with the skill. "Is this young man's cooking really that good, Captain?" he said with a skeptical stare.

Kim grinned as she planted a kiss on her love's cheek. "Better."

**…**  
**…**

True to Kim's promises, Ron's culinary skills were in excellent form that night, resulting in a twice-baked pineapple crusted chicken that practically melted in everyone's mouths. As they all sat back from the table and patted their stomachs, Kylie voiced it best with her appreciative comment over the meal.

"Kim, if you let this one get away, I'll snag him myself just so I can sample some more of his cooking."

Amazingly, Dorothy Carmichael was also smiling. "Young man, I don't know how you found out about my favorite dish, but I must say you made me love it even more. At least we know that if you and Kimberly Anne do end up together she'll be well fed."

Kim looked at her grandfather and her fiancé, and both nodded. That comment meant that it was now or never. She took a deep breath.

"Umm, actually, Grandma, we are together."

The old woman waved a dismissive hand through the air. "I meant if you end up getting married, dear."

Another deep breath. "We will be."

"Excuse me?" her grandmother said as if she'd not quite heard the young woman right.

Kim felt her courage growing slightly. "Grandma, Ron and I will be getting married. We're…we're engaged."

The room became so silent you could have heard a pin drop on carpet. All eyes were on the two teens before they turned towards the Carmichael matron, who had her head tilted at an odd angle while she eyed the red-head and the blonde sitting across the table from her over the top rim of her half-moon glasses.

Ron reached for Kim's hand and grasped it tightly. "She's right, Ma'am. I asked your granddaughter to marry me, and she said yes."

The smile disappeared from the old woman's face in an instant. "Really now? And just where do you get off doing such a thing so soon, young man?"

Ron smiled. "Mrs. Carmichael, I love her with everything that I am, and I know I can make her every bit as happy as we all know she deserves to be. And I know in my heart that I'd do anything for her."

A frown began to crease that wrinkled face. "And just what are your plans for the future?"

Kim smiled. "He's going to become a chef and open his own restaurant. And you just sampled some of his cooking, so you know he's good at it."

"And I wonder just where he thinks he would get the money."

The young woman kept smiling. "Actually, he's already got the money saved up and stashed away. Ron is the one who invented the Naco they serve at Bueno Nacho, Grandma. And they are paying him royalties off every one they sell from now on. If he wanted, he could start things rolling on the restaurant Monday morning when the bank opens."

Still the frown grew. "And what, may I ask, do you believe in regards to faith, young man?" she asked coldly.

Ron took a deep breath. "I follow the Reform Jewish faith, Ma'am."

The voice dropped to an icy lowness. "You mean to tell me my granddaughter is engaged to someone who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ?"

Ron shook his head slowly. "No, Ma'am, we still believe in him as a great prophet who was capable of many miracles. We just don't feel that he was the Messiah that the Scriptures foretold about."

Aged green eyes narrowed. "And what do you plan to do about Kimberly's faith?"

Kim leaned forward, locking eyes with her grandmother, and could almost feel the lighting she was beginning to exchange with the old woman. "Ron respects my faith, and will not force me to change it. Just like I won't force him to convert to mine. If necessary, we'll be a dual-faith household, and our children will have the right to choose to follow whichever one their heart calls them to."

Now the voice was rising again. "And what makes you think I will ever let this abomination take place?"

Kim took a deep breath, and no one, not even Ron, had ever seen a more serious look than the one that was now planted firmly on her face. It was a gaze of blazing cold steel that put all of Ron's noted versions to complete and utter shame and humiliation.

"I'm sorry, Grandma, but this isn't your call. With or without your consent, Ron and I will be getting married. He asked me back during the first week of June, and I said yes because it is what I want more than anything in the world. And the only reason you're just now hearing about it is because we wanted to tell you face to face instead of you hearing about it from some press release. So you can either get with the program, or not. Either way, it will happen. And I am going to become Mrs. Ronald Eugene Stoppable whether you like it or not. We both want you there when it happens, but if you aren't, it won't stop it from happening."

"Then I have only one more question, one I want this young man to answer." The green fire of the old woman's eyes turned towards Ron. "Why did you wait to tell me in person? Why not just tell me over the phone?"

Ron put his arm around Kim's shoulders and pulled her close. "Because, Mrs. Carmichael, your granddaughter has an intense amount of respect for you, and she wanted to look you in the eye when she told you. And just by knowing that, I also have the utmost respect for you. As such we felt that this was the best, most mature way to handle things, because in this situation we can't just run from your reaction. Regardless of what you say or what your reaction might be, we have to sit here and listen to it."

"I see."

The eyes narrowed again, and the lips went off to the side as the old woman's tongue traced the outside of her teeth on the inside of her mouth. She took a few deep breaths through her nose, fixing the two young people with a hard, cold stare. Then, surprisingly, she turned to Anne. What she said next caused every other mouth in the room to open wide in shock.

"Annabelle, I was wrong," she said with a nod of her head. "You've raised a fine daughter if she can attract a young man with as much moral fiber as this young gentleman obviously possesses." She turned back towards Kim. "Stop sitting there with your mouth open, Kimberly Anne, and plant one on your fiancé. And I better see the invitation no less than a year before the event takes place."

Kim did an immediate double…no, a full triple-take, and for a moment she didn't know what to do. Whatever she had been expecting her grandmother's reaction to her defense of her fiancé to be, this certainly wasn't it! She turned to look at Ron, who met her shocked gaze with one of equal surprise. Then he smiled, and she echoed it before pulling him into a slow, loving kiss. Grandma Dorothy smiled and clapped, and immediately the other twelve people at the table broke out of their stunned silences and joined her.

"So wait, Mom," Uncle Z said with a confused glance, "you mean to tell us that you've been hard on Kim all these years because you wanted her to do something like this? You wanted her to stand up to you?"

The old woman shook her head. "No, Son. I wanted to see that fire she showed us all when she was younger and first met this young man. The day she did that, and when she told us about it that Christmas, I saw a spirit similar to my own in her. Then, for some reason, I saw it disappear in her personal life and in her reactions with this family. Then I saw it come back when she started taking her missions, but again it failed to show in her personal life and around us."

Amos couldn't help a laugh. "So why not just tell her that, D?"

His wife smiled at him. "Would you have gone with me if I had kept that fire bottled up all those years ago?"

Now it was Anne's turn to be confused. "But Mother, what about the problems you and I have had all these years?"

Dorothy laughed. "Annabelle, I put all of you through the same thing I put your daughter through. You yourself showed me that spitfire spirit when you struck out on your own, but for reasons I can't explain or understand, you never seemed to encourage that spark to flourish in your daughter. Yes, you told her to follow her heart, but you never showed her how to fight for what her heart really wanted. If you had, I have a feeling I wouldn't be congratulating Kimberly and Ron but Kimberly and someone else, maybe even Nelson boy she locked braces with when she was thirteen. Yes, you taught her to chase what she wanted, but you never showed her how to defend those dreams against those who would put them down. So I decided to take that on myself, because there will be people, and I'm sure there already are some, who don't understand why she chose this young man to give her heart to."

Kim smiled. "So this whole time you actually approved of Ron, Grandma?"

Her grandmother nodded. "Kimberly Anne, I've never '_not_ approved' of someone you professed to care about…except maybe that Erik boy…but I wanted to see you yourself believe in that feeling enough to defend it. I may not approve of how things sometimes look between you two, but I've never had a problem with you two as a couple. You actually remind me a lot of your grandfather and me when we first started. In fact, there are people still today who don't understand why I left what they perceived as a promising film career for a ragged-around-the-edges wild man who had to risk his life in dogfights, but I followed my heart. Just as I'm sure you've followed yours when it comes to Ron."

"Well, Erik…_that thing_…wasn't even a real guy, so good call on that one," the red head replied with a smile, but then she frowned. "But what about all the ranting you've done about my friendship with Monique?"

The old woman smiled and looked at her granddaughter knowingly. "Kimberly, it's the same concept. You're going to meet people who don't like that your friends with people who are different simply because they have a different skin color. And yet when I pressed you about it, you still stood there and took it, never explaining why you were friends with her or even telling me to back off on the subject. I had no problems with the friendship—what I had problems with is that you wouldn't fight back and defend it. The fact that you showed you possessed that strength when you go on your missions only reinforced that something wasn't right in your head."

Ron broke into a huge grin. "So when you were criticizing her mission clothes and her fighting you were just trying to find another way to push KP's buttons and get her to react and defend herself?"

Dorothy cocked her head. "Well, no, that one is actually because I'm not a fan of the fighting or how tight those clothes are. But if she changed that just because I said so, she wouldn't be who she is, now would she? Besides, at least she covers her stomach now."

Amos shook his head. "D, if you were planning this the whole time, why didn't you tell me?"

His wife laughed and smiled at him. "Because, you old coot, if I had you would have told Annabelle, and I felt I had to put forth the whole picture to get the message into Kimberly's head."

James eyed his wife. "Now we know where Jim and Tim get their mischievous streak from," he said with a smile.

Uncle Philip ran a hand through his dark black, crew-cut hair and gave Aunt Laura the same look. "And where Dylan gets his."

The sisters both rolled their eyes at their husbands, and Anne popped James on the arm playfully. "Oh, like you and Slim never pulled anything when you were younger. I do have some of your mother's stories about you two, you know."

Aunt Laura smiled. "So, you're really okay with this, Mom?"

Uncle Phillip grinned. "I think she is, honey."

"Darn straight," the Carmichael matron said with a grin. "Now if I can only get Kylie to be as sociable in school as she is with us…and Larry to actually ask out girls he likes with the same confidence he has in his collections and his robots…"

The rest of the family laughed at the obvious joke, although Cousin Larry and Cousin Kylie both did so a little nervously. When the laughter died down, Dorothy once again fixed Ron with a questioning stare.

"There are one or two other matters, however, young man."

_Oh no_, thought Kim, _don't tell me she was just putting on an act just now._

"Ma'am?" said Ron, a little nervously.

"One, I'd better see my granddaughter in a _white_ dress, and she'd better not be lying when she wears it. And two, I believe you have yet to introduce someone important to me, someone with large front teeth who apparently likes to eat a lot of the cheese we have sitting on the kitchen counter."

At that word, Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket and hopped up on the table. "Hrk! Cheese!"

Kim and Ron both blew out a breath of relief, and Ron smiled. "Ma'am, I'd like you to meet Rufus, my pet naked mole rat. Rufus, this is Mrs. Carmichael, Kim's grandmother."

"Hrk. Hi."

What happened next was an even bigger shock than the old woman's acceptance of the engagement, as Kim's grandmother actually began chittering at Rufus! The mole rat chittered right back, and it appeared the two were having a conversation in the same way that Ron had been able to do with Roachie a few years ago! After a few moments of what was apparently a conversation between the two, Dorothy Carmichael smiled at Ron and Kim.

"You certainly have a very polite companion, young man," she said with a grin. Then she noticed their shocked looks. "Oh, that's right. You two don't know about Rita, do you?"

Even Amos was confused by that one. "Rita? Who is that, D?"

Dorothy smiled and scratched Rufus under the chin in such a way that he instantly went relaxed, fell on his stomach, and rolled over to give her easier access to the spot she was rubbing. "Rita was _my_ pet naked mole rat, dear. My father brought her over from one of his trips to Africa—or should I say she stowed away in one of the crates he sent back to the States. I had her from the time I was eight till I turned sixteen, and she was probably my best and most loyal friend during that time. It broke my heart when she got sick and passed away. Though I must say this little guy looks healthier than any others I've ever seen. Also a bit larger than I think most of his brethren get as well."

The rest of the evening was spent in anticipatory and excited conversations about the wedding, although there was one tense moment when Grandma Dorothy noticed Kim wasn't wearing an engagement ring. However, that was quickly rectified when Ron ran up to her room to retrieve it from where she'd stashed it in one of the zippers of her purse. As he brought it down and slipped it on the appropriate finger, the old woman let out a whistle.

"Young man, how did you ever afford such a large thing?"

Kim smiled. "I told you, Grandma—Ron invented the Naco that is Bueno Nacho's trademark, and they pay him royalties on it."

"I hope you're not marrying him just because he's rich, young lady," the old woman chided.

The young red-head grinned. "Grandma, we could be the poorest couple in the world, and I'd still marry him, because having him makes me feel richer than any money ever could."

"Sounds familiar," Dorothy laughed as she eyed her husband. "I don't think your grandfather and I had a penny to our names when we got hitched. I just hope you last as long as or longer than we do."

"Count on it," declared Ron. "I plan to be married to this beautiful woman for a good long time." Then he pulled Kim into a surprise kiss that left her smiling like an idiot and more than a little light-headed.

"By the way, Kim, when is the wedding?" Kylie asked with a smile.

Since Kim was still in a daze from the last kiss, Ron smiled and answered for her. "Well, we haven't set a date yet, but we'd both like to get at least our Bachelor's degrees first. So most likely not for at least another four years or so."

Grandma Dorothy nodded. "Well, as long as we're still here, we'll be there."

"Wouldn't miss it," added Grandpa Amos.

"Thanks Grandma and Grandpa," replied Kim with a smile.

* * *

Sheila paced nervously back and forth across the floor of her quarters. The doctors at Go City Memorial had cleared her for release after only a twenty-four hour observation period once she had woken up, and she couldn't get out of that place fast enough. For reasons she still couldn't explain, public health institutions always bothered her. Her brothers were the same way, but for some reason her particular uneasiness with the places had always been worse. The doctors still insisted she start coming in for check-ups twice as often as most expectant mothers would need to, but at least she no longer had to stay in a place she was uncomfortable even setting foot inside of.

Now, though, she was faced with an all-new problem. The fainting scare had revealed that her twins were now starting to react to her own stress levels, and that whenever she got upset they were going to start firing up the glow powers they'd evidently inherited from her. She'd known that at least one of them would just from Xander's appearance this past summer, but she'd hoped that maybe the abilities would be the type that manifested _after_ the two were born, when she could help the twins learn to control them. At this point, however, if the twins' powers fully activated, they could easily blast a hole right through her, killing them all in the process. And as if that weren't hard enough to deal with, the whole thing could be easily controlled if she could only keep her stress level down.

_Yeah, like that'll happen,_ she thought bitterly.

Even though she wasn't a force of evil now, Sheila could still be rather high strung even when nothing was provoking her. Now, she was dealing with several things that were known to be major causes of tension. She now had less than four months to finish planning her wedding; to have said wedding if she were going to have the twins within the ties of matrimony like she desperately wanted; find her parents before said event so that they could attend, as well as be there for the birth of their grandchildren; and now deal with the fact that her own mother had developed the technology that Aviarius had once used to steal the powers she and her brothers now possessed. Each was mountain of trouble to deal with on its own, but together and combined with her need to stay relatively relaxed during that time they were proving an insurmountable problem with no solution in sight.

Unfortunately, all of it paled in comparison to that last little stress factor—well, more like humongous stress factor. Why had Sheridan Godfrey been working on a technology that could strip her children of their superpowers when she knew full well what they could accomplish with them? According to Hego, it had been their parents who put the idea of helping out this city in his head in the first place. He had often claimed that he himself knew it was destiny, but after they had discovered this little tidbit about their mother, he'd confessed he'd first gotten the idea from their parents, specifically from their mother. Why would she suggest something like that if she was already working on something to get rid of their powers?

Sheila sighed and walked over to a window that opened up to a balcony that gazed out over the bay. Opening that up, she stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the rail. She glanced down at her mint-green hands, as if expecting to find the answers written there, but she found no comfort there. However, a few minutes later, comfort found her as a pair of pale-blue arms wrapped around her from behind. Sighing, she leaned back into Andy's chest.

"Any news from Possible's techno-boy?" she said softly.

Andy shook his head. "He's got a location in Venice, but no way to know if your parents are still there or not. And he says he won't send Kim, Ron, and Joss in until he has some confirmation about where they need to go or where they need to start looking."

"Venice," she said with a quiet smile. "If we manage to get a honeymoon out of all this craziness, I think I might like to go there."

"I think that'd be nice," he replied. "Believe it or not Italy is the one European country I've never been to."

* * *

On the flight back to Colorado the next evening, Kim couldn't help but smile. Her parents had originally booked them on a much earlier flight, but after the surprise reaction her grandmother had had to her and Ron's engagement, they'd rescheduled for a flight that left that evening so they could spend more time with the family. It had meant that the six of them couldn't all sit together as they had originally done on the flight down, since the most they could manage was four seats at the front of the plane and two at the back. However, it also meant that Kim and Ron could have a little alone time without her brothers watching their every move.

Despite their fears about the trip prior to going, the visit had turned into one of the most enjoyable Kim could ever remember having with her mom's family. After they learned that Dorothy Carmichael had once owned a naked mole rat as a pet herself, she'd brought out a few pictures of Rita. Judging from Rufus's reaction to the photos, it was clear that Rita had been a good-looking member of the species. There were also a few jokes exchanged about how Kim's grandmother's companion had enjoyed chocolate almost as much as Rufus enjoyed cheese. Also, for the first time in Kim's memory, her grandmother actually seemed to enjoy telling her about the film career the old woman had left behind.

"On the level of Rosemary Clooney, I was," she had said with a grin. "Even got to kiss 'Ol' Blue Eyes' once."

"You kissed Frank Sinatra?" Kim and Kylie had both squeaked in surprise.

There had been a faraway look in the old woman's eyes. "It was only a bit part, but yes, I did. Second best kiss I ever got."

Grandpa Amos had then gotten a huge smile. "Yep, I kiss better than Frank Sinatra."

"And who says Number One was you?" Grandma Dorothy had retorted with a sly smile that remind Ron of distinctly of Kim's version, although it had been obvious to all present that he was the one she was referring to.

Now, as their second 737 drifted through the skies from Houston to Denver, it was hard not to picture things as being on top of the world as she gazed out the window. Kim felt Ron place a kiss on top of her head, and immediately lifted up the arm between their seats so she could lean back into him.

"Whatcha thinking about?" he said softly.

Kim smiled. "Nothing much. Just how I'm the luckiest person on the planet. Think it'll go this good with your family?"

He sighed. "I wish, but if it does we might want to check with Nostradamus about how long we've got left. Cause Aunt Alma being that accepting or planning anything like what your grandmother pulled has got to be a sign of the apocalypse."

She turned and snuggled into him a bit. "Hey, I agreed to marry you, not her. And from what you've told me, your family doesn't see her that much anyways."

Ron grinned. "I guess. I just hope she doesn't start comparing me to any of Aunt Margot and Uncle Jacob's kids again. Although, I do know she's getting two meetings out of this gathering."

Kim looked at him in slight surprise. "What do you mean, Ron?"

The blonde's grin halfway disappeared, though it was still partially there. "She's gonna have both you and Hana under scrutiny. That, and she's not too happy that my parents adopted Hana."

"What do your grandparents think?"

The grin returned. "Big Daddy and Big Mama are just glad to have another grandkid they can spoil. And I think they're just glad I'm with someone and don't really care who it is. I kind of suspect my mom's family thought I might end up as one of these bachelors for life who has no kids and lives alone."

Kim giggled. "Not if I have anything to say about it, buster. You're going to be a husband and a father before I get done with you."

He pulled her into a kiss. "Sounds badical to me, KP. Sounds badical to me."

The plane pulled into Denver late that night around 1:00 AM. The moment they were through the departure gates, Kim turned her phone back on, as well as her wrist Kimmunicator, and Ron did the same with his. Both were surprised to find two messages apiece from Wade on every single device, all of them from either Saturday night or Sunday morning. They glanced at each other with worried looks, as they had specifically told Wade they wouldn't be using their phones or Kimmunicators except for emergencies until they landed back in Denver Sunday evening so that they could focus on the meeting with her grandparents. They also hadn't told Wade the phone number of Carmichael Place for that exact same reason. Now they wondered if maybe that last particular part hadn't been such a good idea.

Kim hit the retrieve button on her Kimmunicator, and Wade's first recorded message came on. He was in his pajamas, and there was a harried look on his face.

"Kim, today is Saturday, October 28th, and it's 11:00 PM here in Colorado. I know you guys asked for the weekend off so you could deal with your family, but this is urgent and I'm hoping you check your messages before Sunday. You and Ron need to give me a call as soon as you get this, regardless of what time it is. And it would probably be best if you made the call on the Kimmunicators."

Kim and Ron both frowned as she pressed the next button. Wade's second message appeared, and he looked even more agitated than he had in the previous message. Whatever this was about had to be serious.

"Kim, today is Sunday, October 29th, and it's 7:00 AM here in Colorado. Please, this is urgent and of the utmost importance. More rush than you had me put on the media sweep when you lost your pants and had to buy discount jeans from Smarty Mart, or the rush to find who was a Yellow Trout for that Animology quiz. Contact me as soon as you possibly can."

Now the two teens were really worried. Something was up, and Wade didn't appear to want to tell them any other way than in a very secure face-to-Kimmunicator conversation. Thought it was very nearly 1:30 AM, Kim pressed the call button on her Kimmunicator. The minute Wade's face appeared on the screen and he saw them, he seemed to both relax and tense up at the same time.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim said with a concerned look. "You know we had our phones and Kimmunicators off this weekend."

Wade frowned. "Sorry, but this is important. Felix woke up this weekend, and he told Zita what he was trying to tell Ron when the ambulance took him to the hospital. When she heard, she called me immediately."

"What'd he say?" Ron asked with a nervous look on his face.

Wade ran a hand through his hair. "Ron, I don't know how to tell you this, but Felix said the monkey ninjas were pointing at your pants a lot. Specifically the pockets that Rufus normally likes to ride in."

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are more than welcome-they're greatly appreciated. :)


	15. Chapter 15

A/N

Chapter 15 is up and running!

Rufus has been revealed to be the target the monkey-ninjas seek, but why are they after him?

It's time for Ron's favorite holiday, and costume discussion brings about a surprising little revelation about Kim and Ron's relationship.

The schemers make their plans, but an alteration in those plans could bring about some new twists...

Kim faces a confrontation of a different sort, and gets some unexpected support.

Halloween night comes with new challenges to face, including an event that catches Team Possible off guard...

Villains continue to move forward with their plans, and it appears there may be more than one path to evil...

And finally, Wade makes a startling discovery, one that might possibly fill in a huge piece of the puzzle.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Now the two teens were really worried. Something was up, and Wade didn't appear to want to tell them any other way than in a very secure face-to-Kimmunicator conversation. Thought it was very nearly 1:30 AM, Kim pressed the call button on her Kimmunicator. The minute Wade's face appeared on the screen and he saw them, he seemed to both relax and tense up at the same time.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim said with a concerned look. "You know we had our phones and Kimmunicators off this weekend."

Wade frowned. "Sorry, but this is important. Felix woke up this weekend, and he told Zita what he was trying to tell Ron when the ambulance took him to the hospital. When she heard, she called me immediately."

"What'd he say?" Ron asked with a nervous look on his face.

Wade ran a hand through his hair. "Ron, I don't know how to tell you this, but Felix said the monkey ninjas were pointing at your pants a lot. Specifically the pockets that Rufus normally likes to ride in."

Both Kim and Ron looked at each in surprise for a moment before looking down at Ron's right pants leg pocket where the mole rat was currently tucked away and snoozing. Then they looked at each other again, and Kim saw the worry begin to fill the young man's face.

"Why…why…why would they want Rufus?" he stammered.

Wade smiled comfortingly as he shrugged. "I don't know, Ron, but I promise I will find out. I did have a couple side projects going, but I'll bump one of them to make room for this. And I'll let you know as soon as I have something, even if it's something miniscule and trivial."

"Thanks, Wade," Kim replied just before the screen went blank. Then she turned to Ron, who was once again looking at the pocket his buddy was sleeping in.

"Why do they want Rufus? I mean, I know D.N. Amy once combined him with Mr. Barkin to make that 'Naked Mole Man' thing back during our freshman year ski trip to Mount Middleton, but he's never done anything else to her that I know about."

Kim cupped his cheek gently in her hand. "Ron, we'll figure this out. And I promise we won't let anything happen to Rufus." Then she smiled. "Now, are you going to keep me in suspense about the Halloween costumes this year, or are you planning to pull out the two-person unicorn again?"

She was glad to see the change of topic have its intended effect as Ron seemed to perk up a bit.

"Aww, man, I almost forgot."

Kim stared at him like he'd lost his marbles before quickly placing her hand on his forehead.

"KP, what are you doing?"

She grinned. "Checking your temperature. My BF forgetting about his favorite holiday is normally a sign of serious illness."

"I'm fine, KP, promise. Just with the trip this weekend I didn't really have time to come up with anything. But don't worry, I'll think of something."

Kim giggled. "Just the same, I think I ought to have Mom examine your head." She turned with a smile. "Hey, Mo…mmmph…Mmmmm."

The instant Kim had turned, Ron had spun her back around and kissed her, effectively silencing her call and eliciting a purr from her as he pressed his lips to hers with an urgent tenderness.

Kim pulled back blinking. "Whew," she said, slightly fanning herself, "guess I figured out what it takes to get you to take complete control on a kiss. Just have to threaten you with a head examination from my mom."

Anne popped up beside them with a knowing smile. "Who needs a head exam?" she said a little too cheerfully.

Both teens blushed slightly in response.

The ride back to Middleton was calm and subdued, with everyone experiencing a minor amount of jet lag and readjustment to the switching of time zones. Before she let them leave to go back to G.V.U., Anne Possible made sure both Kim and Ron were fully awake enough to drive. She also insisted they call her twice, once when they reached G.V.U., and again once they were safely in the Unit. Only Kim took notice of the fact that she had only referred to one of their Units, and it made her smile a bit wider.

Once they arrived back at the dorms and had made their call, she guided her now nearly-sleepwalking fiancé into her Unit. Monique, who was still up on the couch working on a paper she had due the next day for her Marketing class, merely smiled as she watched her red-headed BFF take Ron into the bedroom and shut the door.

**…  
…**

The next morning at breakfast in Sentinel Station, Kim frowned when Ron told her his first idea.

"Ron, we are so not doing the two-person unicorn again. I was kidding when I said that."

The blonde smiled. "But KP, I thought you liked having me touch your butt."

She blinked a few times in embarrassment and arousal. "Ron, is that why you like that costume so much, and why you always make me be the head? Because you get to stare at my butt?"

Ron grinned. "Hey, I've never heard you complain about me staring at it when we're going through the air ducts of some villain's lair."

She blushed again, but couldn't help the smile. Come to think of it, even on missions where Ron led (which had become more frequent since the Lorwardian invasion), he did like for her to always be the one to go first when they were going through the ventilation shafts. She'd always assumed that he was doing it simply because she was better at disabling vent security measures, but she had to admit there had been a few times, and more so once they started dating, where he'd nearly run into her when she stopped to pick a juncture or rewire some laser grid. She giggled as she realized now why he'd been so distracted those times. Then she thought of something.

"But what about ninth grade when I got grounded and you went after the Halloween insomniacs with Josh?" she asked coyly.

Ron stammered a bit. "Actually…that…that one wasn't thought out too well. And it only took me and Mankey a few seconds to realize the awkwardness of it. And that since he was already in his pirate costume I could just wear both halves of the unicorn."

Kim giggled. "Fine, now what's your next idea?"

He scratched his chin. "Well, my next one is a little darker than we've done before."

She eyed him skeptically. "Are we talking darker as in 'gory darker' or darker like 'edgier darker'?"

"A little of both," he said evasively. "Plus, it puts you in something skin-tight and me with most likely a bare chest."

She grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Bare-chested Ron…I like the sound of that. What is it?"

He smiled. "I was thinking maybe Luna and Gabriel from the _Nightworld _movie series about vampires and Lycans. You know: the one that had its second installment come out this January? You in her black outfit with the vampire fangs and the guns and me as him in his hybrid form. Maybe we could even find a replica of the necklace key for you to wear."

Kim grinned again. "Just as long as I don't have to wear a wig or put in blue contacts." Then she laughed. "This is just another of your attempts to see my butt, isn't it?"

Ron's smile turned mischievous. "Maybe…"

Kim shook her head in amusement and looked up in false protest. "Fine. But you better be completely bare-chested and fully painted, mister. And none of those black-eye contacts, either. Those things creep me out when I see people actually wearing them."

* * *

At cheerleader practice that afternoon, Kim was paired with Rachael Garreth and with Bobby Norris, one of the male members of the squad. They were working on two-person lifts, something that Coach Leslie Williams had noted as being a bit sloppy during the Temple game.

"So Kim, what are you and Ron doing for Halloween tomorrow?" Rachael asked as she reached the top of the lift and came back down.

Kim smiled at the girl who, despite the earlier snarkiness she'd shown, the red-head was actually starting to consider a friend. "Well, I think we're heading over to the party at Vinnie James's place. Though I have no idea when. I wouldn't be surprised if Ron wants to head out and do trick-or-treating still. Though I will say he wasn't as into that particular aspect last year, though that may have been because we had a tough mission the day before last Halloween to stop Duff Killigan and were both pretty tired. It's still his favorite holiday, though."

Bobby shrugged. "Probably always will be from what I've heard about you two. So what are you guys going as?"

The red-head grinned. "Sounds like we're going as the lead characters from those vampire/Lycan movies. Me as Luna and him as Gabriel in hybrid-form. Though I don't think either of us are going to have the wig or the contacts."

Bobby frowned. "I liked the first _Nightworld_, but _Nightworld: Transformation_ just seemed a little too contrived and campy for my tastes." Then he grinned. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing either of the two of you in that black leather outfit Luna wears."

Kim laughed nervously while Rachael scowled.

"Like you'd have a chance with me, Bobby Norris," the blonde retorted as she blew a bubble with her gum deliberately in his face.

"Garreth!" Coach Williams yelled. "Spit that gum out before I make you run ten laps around the upper balcony seats!"

Rachael rolled her eyes as she pulled out the wad and walked over to the trash. However, inside she was smiling; she'd gotten the information she wanted. But better than that, she'd gotten it without having to ask the question herself, and Possible would be none the wiser to her plans. Then, in a flash of brilliance, she smiled evilly as she realized there was also way to sabotage Bricin on this in a way her junior-cheerleader-accomplice would never be aware of. All she had to do was inform Nate about the plan before he could talk to the other girl, and Ron would be almost clear for the taking. After all, it would be a lot simpler to claim Stoppable as her own little freshman boy-toy if there were one less person to clear from the field.

**…**  
**…**

Ron smiled as he got up from the tenth hit he'd taken that day in practice. His right arm and shoulder felt good as new, and he was starting to get back into his rhythm. As they took a water break, Nate Highland and Vinnie James came over with smiles on their faces.

"Man, Ron, you're looking great out there," Nate said as he grabbed a sports drink bottle. "You keep this up and Notre Dame won't have a chance against us."

Ron grinned. "Thanks, Nate. I just wish I'd been out there last week."

Vinnie sighed. "Ron, forget about that, and focus on this week. Speaking of which, you and Kim still plan on coming to the party? Mitz keeps asking about you guys."

"Yeah, we're still coming. I think Kim expects me to want to trick-or-treat, but I figured I'd surprise her this year and go straight to the party. That's one thing we missed a lot of in high school because of the missions, so I want to try to make it up to her somehow."

"So what are you guys going as?" Nate said with a smile. "Doing the dual-costume thing again?"

Ron smiled. "Well, we're matching, if that's what you mean. She's gonna be Luna from the _Nightworld_ movies, and I'm going as Gabriel in hybrid-form. Got the prosthesis for my face already made."

"Made?" Nate said in surprise.

Viktor Tretiov, who had walked up in time to hear about the costumes, smiled as he put his arm around Ron's neck in a fake head-lock. "Yeah, Stoppable here is a man of many talents. From what I've heard from Kim, he's actually the one who made the mascot head he wore in high school."

Ron shrugged. "It's not that big a deal, really. You just have to know how to mold the latex, foam, and rubber. Well, that and how to get it sized right. The coloring and dyeing part is pretty easy."

Nate smiled. "Sounds good man. Wish I could see it, but I'm gonna be down at the Pit at 'Ghoul Bash 2006'."

Viktor looked at the fullback questioningly. "I thought you were coming to the party too, Nate."

Nate shook his head. "Never got an invite, and you know Mitzy and I have a history."

Vinnie waved a dismissive hand through the air. "That was two years ago. Besides, Mitzy and I both thought you were gonna be there by default. You're one of the reasons we didn't put a 'no alcohol' stipulation on this thing. Though it is still BYOB."

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "I still don't know about that. Neither me nor Kim have ever had a single drink in our lives."

The quarterback smiled. "Relax, man. There's gonna be plenty of non-alcohol stuff there. And we're all gonna be watching our cups and the punch bowl to make sure no one spikes anything."

**…**  
**…**

However, a few hours later, Vinnie's confidence in his statement was shaken a bit. "Nina, are you sure you and Emily heard that right?"

The raven-haired beauty nodded emphatically. "Positive, Vin. Lambert, Garreth, and Highland were saying they were going to try something tomorrow night at your party. Unfortunately, all Q and I caught was that the plan involved alcohol and getting either one or both of them drunk. Look, I know Mitzy doesn't really want me there, but I'd really feel better if there were another set of eyes to keep watch on those three. And Emily and Jack are gonna be at the Pit's Ghoul Bash. So it's up to you and me, and I know you want to spend most of the night with Mitzy."

Vinnie rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, listen. I'll talk to Mitz, and you go ahead and show up. Even if she complains, I'm going to let you in on grounds of 'best friend since middle school', but you've got to promise you won't say anything to Kim or Ron about this. Those two have had it rough enough as it is lately. But maybe we ought to bring someone else in on this."

Nina nodded. "Maybe Monique? She and Viktor Tretiov are supposed to be there anyway, aren't they?"

Vinnie shrugged. "I gave Viktor the invite, but I haven't heard confirmation from him or Monique one way or the other."

**…**  
**…**

Nate Highland grinned when Rachael Garreth pulled him aside that evening in a darkened shadow cast by G.V.U.'s Henderson Library and told him of her preferred change in their plans.

"To be honest, Rach, I think I like it better this way. I know Emily was looking at me funny in our Statistics class earlier today, and I think she suspects something. Depending on what she heard, cutting Bricin out of this might alleviate some of the suspicion."

Rachael smiled sinisterly. "Plus, if she's not in the picture we might have a better chance of succeeding."

"So what are you going to tell Bricin?"

Rachael got a nasty look on her face. "Think I might tell her they are going as those villains they used to face all the time."

Nate grinned. "This ought to be a spectacle to see."

* * *

The next day it was easy to tell what day it was. All over campus, students were heading to classes in costume. Ron joined in the festivities a little bit by painting his face and hands and by adding his fangs and black claws, but Kim put her foot down against the face prosthesis and the going without his shirt, especially since it was barely in the forties temperature wise. She also completely declined on joining in herself.

"Ron, if I wear that suit now, every guy and his brother is going to be staring at me like some piece of eye-candy, and you know I don't like that. You may think I look like a model, but I don't want to be ogled like one."

Ron was about to offer an argument for his position when Monique cut in. "Ron, when you're girl says she doesn't want anyone but you staring at her butt, take it as a good thing."

That shut the young man up in quite a hurry, although he did get a _very_ goofy grin on his face that caused both girls to shake their heads in amusement.

Felix was also out of the hospital and back in class, and was using his still-healing bruises as part of his costume, claiming he was a hockey player from a fight gone wrong. He had even darkened under his other eye and added a fake-cut with a skate blade attached to his neck. In addition, he'd borrowed one of Ron's rattier, mission-damaged red jerseys and a cheap hockey helmet he'd bought that he'd purposefully smashed a dent in. Combined with his wheelchair, it was a very convincing costume that got everyone's approval.

Even the teachers were getting in on the spirit. Professor Chris Barkin got a bunch of hoots of approval, particularly from the Middleton Alumni in class, when he came in dressed as General Patton, complete with pipe. He still had the beard, but the four Middleton graduates couldn't help but laugh at how much he looked like his brother. Then, in their Biology Lab class, Ron and Kim were both a little spooked by how well their teacher pulled off her Miss Hyde version of herself, especially when she only cancelled the copious amounts of homework she'd given them at the end of the class.

However, there was one teacher who Kim thought came in the completely wrong costume given how he acted. Professor Ulysses Hyde came dressed as a monk, but in the red-head's opinion he acted far opposite of the holy-man persona. Kim was pretty certain he would have knocked points off their grades for simply being in costume if he hadn't been in one himself.

"But, Sir, it's Halloween tonight," Drea Saunders complained through her zombie make-up. "How can you expect us to have a four-page paper on the fall of Celtic Civilization done by Thursday when you're just assigning it today?"

Those cold, grey eyes scanned the room as he spoke. "Because, Miss Saunders, I expect all of you to realize that this is only a one-night holiday. Do you really expect me to cancel class because all of you take too much advantage of alcohol?"

Kim frowned. "Dr. Hyde, that's not a fair assumption. Some of us have never had a drink in our lives, and those that have don't abuse it."

Whatever trace of smile there may have been on the professor's face disappeared immediately. "Miss Possible, you're assignment is now six pages. No one talks back to me in my class."

Kim was about to protest when she got support from the last person she expected. From the first day of class when he called her out for having an unfair advantage, Hank Jones had shown nothing but contempt for her, challenging every single answer she gave and seeming to do his best to discredit her claim that she was trying to be a normal student like the rest of them. The fact that he was the one to leap to her defense first was nothing short of shocking!

"Professor, that's not fair and you know it," Hank challenged. "Possible was just correcting your false assumption about the rest of us. She wasn't talking back to you."

"He's right, Sir," Jason Adams, another student, added. "You made an unfair generalization, and she merely questioned your facts."

"ENOUGH!" Professor Hyde yelled, a vein at his temple pulsing. "All of those who have protested _except_ Miss Possible are required to turn in six pages! Miss Possible, you are responsible for _eight_ pages for inciting this disruption!"

Drea stood up defiantly. "Then expect to have to read _two_ eight page papers, _Professor_," she declared with no small amount of contempt. "Cause Kim did nothing wrong."

Dr. Hyde narrowed his eyes at her, his devilish smirk contrasting completely with the brown monk's robe he wore. "Miss Saunders, the only way that will work is if you convince _everyone_ in this room to write eight pages. But I warn you now, if I find so much as _one_ paper that is the _required_ four pages, the rest of you will all receive automatic twenty point deductions."

The moment the professor dismissed them, Kim bolted out the door. Once outside, she collapsed on a bench and buried her face in her hands in frustration. When she looked up, she was surprised to see a group gathered around her, among them Drea Saunders and Jason Adams.

"Kim, don't worry about it," Jason said with a smile. "Everyone in there knows you weren't at fault."

Kim shook her head. "That's not the point, Jason. Because of me, if you do this and don't get _everyone_ to participate, you can only make a B on this paper. I'm not worth that."

Drea grinned. "Yes you are, Kim. Out of all of us, you have the most courage when it comes to that demon. Besides, you defended all of us when you told him he was wrong about the drinking. Even if you weren't completely right about what you said, you were right to call him out for pointing it out. And everyone knows that. Besides, what's the difference between four and eight pages? To tell the truth, I was worried about condensing everything into just the four."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, but I wouldn't blame you if that's all you handed in."

* * *

That evening, Kim had to blush a bit when she finally got into the black rubber and leather outfit that Ron had picked for her costume. It hadn't been all that hard to come by, especially when it gave Monique another excuse to design and create something for extra credit for her classes. Even if it was a rush job, Kim's BFF seemed to relish the challenge. But damn if the thing wasn't just a tad bit too form-fitting! And the way the gun holsters were situated drew direct attention straight at the center of her butt.

_If Daddy saw me in this he'd have a heart-attack_, she thought with a wry smile as she gave herself a once-over in the mirror. _It's tighter than the Shego outfit I had to wear when Drakken put that chip on me at Taishu Falls. Maybe even tighter than the Ferret Girl costume I modified for Ron's birthday_.

"Looking good, girl," commented Monique as she slipped into her Arabian dancer's outfit. "You're going to be the spotlight of the party. Every guy's going to have to SAS."

Kim laughed a bit. "You're only saying they'll stare because you designed it. Besides, I think Viktor might keep his eyes focused directly on that bare stomach of yours. I still can't believe you're wearing something that risqué."

Monique gave her a skeptical look. "What, did you expect me to bring out the cowgirl outfit from 9th grade again? Or maybe that gypsy costume I wore last year? Girl, a fashion designer's got to keep evolving her look. Besides, you think I could have gotten away with something like this back home? Jamal may be my brother, but that sometimes makes him even more protective of me than your dad is of you."

"Comes with the territory, I guess," Kim replied as she turned back to look in the mirror. _Yep, definite Daddy heart-attack if he were to see me in this._

**…**  
**…**

When Ron dropped by about half an hour later, his mouth was open so long from gaping at her in awe that Kim was sure his false fangs would have fallen out if they weren't being held in by costume tooth gel. She giggled a bit.

"So what do you think?" she said as she spun slowly.

"Badical," he breathed just slightly above an aroused whisper.

"Right back at you," Kim replied with a grin as she stood inches from him and placed her hand on his bare, grayish-blue-painted chest. "Though I do wonder about kissing with both of us wearing costume fangs."

He smiled, and immediately proved that kissing that night wouldn't be a problem.

"Alright, you two," Monique said with a smile as she gently pushed them out the door. "Viktor's waiting downstairs." Then she looked around. "Hey, where's Felix? Didn't Vinnie and Mitzy invite him as well?"

Ron smiled while keeping his arms wrapped around Kim. "Yeah, but he decided to go with Zita to the party that her sorority Lambda Theta Alpha is throwing at the Upperton U. campus. Something about her wanting to introduce him to some of the friends she's made over there."

Viktor Tretiov was indeed waiting downstairs, and all three of them had to laugh when he revealed that he'd decided to go to the party as none other than a particularly famous blonde by the name of Ron Stoppable, complete with a stuffed version of Rufus popping out of the pocket of his cargo pants.

"Looking good, my man," Ron said as he high-fived his teammate.

"Thanks, Ron," Viktor said with a smile. "I just hope Rufus isn't offended by my representation of him. I'm not the best at sewing, and I think I might have made him a bit too fat."

At that moment, a miniature version of Captain James Robin complete with beard and pirate hat popped up out of the real Ron's pocket. He took one look at his stuffed clone and raised his paw in an appreciative thumbs-up. "Hrk. Looks good."

Kim smiled. "Looks like you're approved, Viktor."

Since Vinnie lived just barely off campus, they opted to walk to his apartment. Ron had been right about Kim's surprise and delight about him not wanting to participate in the trick-or-treating thing that year, though she blushed a hundred shades of red when he grinned at the comment Monique made about it.

"Girl, he's just saving up for when he can take your kids out for the candy."

Vinnie James lived in an apartment complex just across the road from the edge of the G.V.U. campus. The apartments themselves were decent-sized, perfect for either college students with a little money to spend or new families who were just starting out. Kim and Ron had actually talked about possibly looking into accommodations there next year, but right now it was mainly just the speculation of two young people adjusting to the challenges of dorm life. Besides, the close proximity to campus meant the place normally filled up pretty quick anyways. Not to mention that right now they were both perfectly happy to be where they were.

"Hey guys, welcome to the party," Mitzy said warmly when she opened the door after they rang the bell. The white of her angel costume was a stark contrast from the solid black turtleneck and pants she normally wore.

"Hey," added a devil-dressed guy as he wrapped his arms around her. "Doesn't she look just great like this?"

Ron smiled. "Hey, Vinnie. Sorry we're late. Completely my fault."

Vinnie grinned, his smile blending remarkably well with his demonic makeup and painted on pointed beard. "No problem, Ron. Okay, refreshments are in the kitchen, music and dancing are here in the living room, and people are just sitting around everywhere else. Only out of bounds place is the main bedroom on the left."

"Got it," replied Kim with a smile.

As she walked in she felt like every eye was on her, so she kept her arms wrapped tightly around Ron's right arm. It only took a minute for everyone to know just who she'd come with, as well as who she planned on leaving with. Once that was apparent and a bunch of the guys at the party stopped staring, she was able to visibly relax and enjoy herself. Ron excused himself and came back a few seconds later with cups of soda for both of them and a couple of snack plates. She giggled a bit when his makeup reacted a bit with the carbonation, causing the makeup around his mouth to foam a bit.

A few minutes after they'd arrived, there was another knock at Vinnie's door, and in strolled…one of Drakken's henchmen? She rubbed her eyes a bit, and realized it was merely Nate Highland dressed in the red jumpsuit. On his arm were…another Luna and…Shego! Kim shook her head to clear it. It wasn't Shego, though the costume was pretty convincing. Kim was so focused on the girl dressed as Shego that she failed to notice that the other Luna also had red-hair, set in a style very similar to her own.

As the party progressed, a few more people arrived, but not that many more. Viktor, Nate, and Vinnie kept bugging Ron to try a beer, but the young man kept refusing. However, Kim did notice him acting a bit stranger as the night progressed. It wasn't that he was acting out of character, but his jokes kept getting funnier to her. She also noticed a somewhat salty quality to her drink, but passed that off as being caused by the large amount of salty snacks she was consuming. Around ten, she excused herself to head to the bathroom, and was met at the door by a concerned Monique.

"Girl, WIWY? You're acting funny," her BFF declared.

"Monique, am I being paranoid, or is Ron acting a bit too relaxed the more this party goes on?"

The girl shrugged. "Not sure, Kim. I'm a bit more concerned about you, actually. If anyone's acting strange it's you. I mean, I know Ron can be a hoot with the comedy, but some of the stuff you're laughing at you normally wouldn't even bat an eye if he said them."

Kim shook her head a bit, a slight dizziness beginning to make its self barely known. "I don't know." Then she felt the reason she'd headed this direction. "Uhh, Monique, give me a minute. I still need to talk about this, but certain things take precedence."

Monique nodded. "Understand. I'm going to head back out to the living room."

A minute later, a red-head emerged from the hallway, and enticed Ron to dance. The moves started off innocently enough, but pretty soon things got kind of hot and heavy. Monique frowned as she watched the two from her chair. Something about the way her friends were moving seemed completely off, particularly in the way they were acting. The young woman had seen the couple dance several times prior to that night, but it had never gotten this…involved before. Several of the guys were starting to whistle, and there was a rhythmic chant of "Go, Ron," beginning to take hold of most of the guests. She glanced over at their drink cups, and noted with surprise that although she had seen neither Kim nor Ron get up to refill their drinks at any point, the glasses remained nearly full. Something wasn't right…

At that moment, she felt an urgent tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see a frowning girl dressed in a pirate costume.

"Hey, Nina, what's up?"

"Monique, come with me! Quickly!" the Hispanic girl said with an urgent look on her face. "Something's wrong with Kim!"

Monique shook her head in confusion. "What are you talking about? I know Kim and Ron are dancing a little heavier than normal, but I don't think anything's necessarily wrong with her. Maybe with both of them, but not just Kim."

Nina looked up, and the color drained from her face. Then she turned and looked for someone, someone she found rather quickly a few feet away. "Vinnie, it's Garreth! Get Ron outside, now!" Then she turned back to Monique. "Mon, Kim—the real Kim—is lying in Vinnie's bedroom passed out! I think she's been drugged!"

"WHAT?" Monique said in shocked surprise.

She quickly looked back at the dancing couple, and immediately realized what was off—Kim had specifically told her that she'd declined to wear the blue contacts of Luna in her full-vampire form, yet the girl dancing with Ron had sparkling, light-blue eyes! A look of horror crossed her face as Ron leaned in and kissed the girl, and she saw a smile cross the girl's face, one that definitely didn't fit her BFF.

_ACT, YOU IDIOT!_ her mind started screaming at her.

She turned to Viktor. "Vic, help Vinnie get Ron out of here right now!" Then she turned and ran with Nina back towards the bedroom that was situated at the back of the apartment and supposed to be off limits.

There, on the bed, lay a sprawled out Kim Possible. Monique quickly checked her friend's vitals, and was extremely relieved to find them all appearing to be normal. But what she noticed next caused her mouth to drop. Kim's outfit had been partially unzipped, as if someone were trying to do something but had been interrupted in the process. She turned towards Nina.

"Hey, was there anyone else in here when you found her like this?" she said with a panicked urgency.

Nina shook her head. "No, no one. I made sure of that when I found her like this."

Monique glanced around, and noticed something odd. "Did you check the closet to make sure you didn't spook someone into hiding?"

Nina glanced at the pile of clothes with shoe prints on it in shock. "You mean to tell me that if I hadn't come in when I did someone would have raped Kim?"

"They would have done WHAT?" came Mitzy's surprised voice from the door. "Vinnie just told me about what Rachael just tried to pull, but what happened to Kim in here?"

Monique frowned as she zipped up Kim's outfit. "Looks like someone might have been trying to do something with Kim when Nina happened to walk in on them."

The violet-haired girl turned towards Nina and hung her head. "I'm so sorry, Nina, because it looks like you were right. Can you forgive me for suspecting your motives for asking Vinnie if you could come to the party?"

Nina smiled. "No problem. And don't worry, Mitzy. I'm not trying to steal Vinnie from you. We're close as friends, but that's all we are now or ever will be."

Monique's frown deepened. "Look, I'm glad you two aren't at each other throats any more, but will one of you please go call an ambulance or something? Kim's completely non-responsive!"

As if in protest to that statement, Kim's eyes suddenly fluttered open. "Mo…Monique?" she said groggily. "How…how did I get here? And why does my head feel like I just went a dozen rounds with Shego or Adrena Lynn?"

Monique smiled, but then frowned. "Good, you're awake. But we're still taking both you and Naco Boy out of here right now. And we might need to take you to the hospital, Kim."

Kim blinked in confusion. "Hos…hospital? Monique, I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy is all."

Nina, who had stepped out into the living room the minute Kim mentioned her headache, came back in with Kim and Ron's drink cups in her hand. "Kim, both you and Ron had your drinks spiked with something. And it looks like whoever pulled this put something else in yours as well."

"Something else?" the red-head said as she slowly sat up with her hand on her forehead. "What are you talking about?"

Mitzy frowned as she returned as well. "She's right, Kim. Both yours and Ron's cups smell pretty heavily of alcohol, and there's some sort of residue on the bottom of yours. And I seriously doubt it came from anything good for you."

Kim groaned as she finally made it to a sitting position. "So who did this?"

Monique looked at the other two girls, who got weird looks on their faces.

"Monique…" Kim said with a cocked eyebrow and her hand still clutching her pounding forehead. "If you know, you have to tell me."

Monique winced. "Kim, I…"

Mitzy cut in. "Kim, we already called the police on her, and a couple of guys are watching her right now to make sure she doesn't go anywhere before the cops show up. She'll get what she's got coming."

"Who is it?" Kim asked, her voice full of rising fury and her eyes blazing. "Who did this to me and Ron?"

Nina stepped forward. "We think it was Rachael Garreth."

In a flash that was in direct contrast to the headache all three of the other girls knew the red-head had to be feeling, Kim had leaped off the bed and bolted from the room. Before anyone could stop her, she had lunged at the circle of guys surrounding Rachael, her voice blazing. It was only the combined might of four football players mingled with the unfocused direction her rage was driving her in that kept Kim from tearing into the other cheerleader. As it was, she still managed to rip the wig off of the blonde's head.

"YOU BITCH! WHY DID YOU DO THIS? WHAT THE HELL DID WE EVER DO TO YOU?"

Rachael's response sorely tempted the four guys holding Kim back to turn the red-head loose on her. "Why, you little kitty? Because, _you_ don't deserve him. And you _never_ will. A man like Ron Stoppable deserves to be with a _real_ woman."

Despite the fact that there were four football players restraining her, or maybe because she had spent so many years fighting off henchmen, it took only ten seconds for Kim to break free from their hold. When she did, she lunged at Rachael, pinning her up against the wall and yanking her fist back, ready to put it directly through the other girl's skull. It was then she felt two things: one was the stirring of a dark presence she'd only become aware of that summer, and the other was a hand grabbing her wrist and holding it gently where it was. She looked back still snarling, and noticed a calming blue fire around the hand that held her arm. The snarl disappeared as her eyes followed that arm into its owner's eyes, and though they were currently a brilliant shade of cobalt-blue, they held nothing but warmth for her.

"KP, she's not worth it," Ron said calmly.

His eyes were slightly glazed from the effects of the alcohol, but other than that he looked none the worse for wear. That is, until she noticed the missing makeup from his lips. Her mouth reformed into a hard line as she turned slowly back towards Rachael, and noticed the faint smudge of grayish-blue makeup on the blonde's lips.

"You're right, Ron," she said calmly as she slowly released Rachael from between her forearm and the wall. "You are so not even worth the energy I have to spend punching you, Rachael."

Her fist relaxed into an open hand, and Ron released her wrist. What happened next, no one could have stopped, not even Ron in his full Monkey Master mode. That hand which had been relaxed a second before hardened into a flat, rigid palm that exploded across Rachael's face, knocking the blonde hard to the ground.

"But _that_," Kim said with a satisfied smirk as she stared down at the blonde, "the energy spent doing _that_ was _most definitely_ worth it."

Ron had to whistle in surprise at the fury she'd displayed, and found himself immediately grateful for the "lightness" Kim had slapped him with back in September.

"You…you bitch!" Rachael sputtered from the ground, her blonde hair in complete disarray. "I'll sue you for that!"

Bricin stepped forward with a confident glowering. "Just try it, Rachael. I guarantee that all thirty people here will testify to what you did, and will say that Kim was completely justified in her actions. In fact, they'd probably say she would be justified if she used every bit of kung fu she knows on you. You deserve it after what you pulled."

Rachael narrowed her eyes as she pushed a tangle of hair out of her face. "Why you…"

Nate grinned as he wrapped his arm around Bricin, a knowing smirk forming on his face. "Just shove it, Rachael. After what you did here tonight, no one's going to be interested in what you have to say anymore."

"You…" the blonde hissed in enraged shock, her light blue eyes blazing.

At that moment, a police car pulled up outside. Rachael was quickly placed in handcuffs and put in the back of the vehicle. After asking some questions to ascertain what had happened and why the girl's cheek was so red, the officers turned to take her down to the station. Before they could get in the car, however, Monique approached them, and mentioned the scene she'd found in the bedroom. One of the officers did a quick check of Kim while the other took a look at her cup. Both came to the conclusion that she'd only ingested a miniscule dose of whatever it was that had been used on her, and pronounced that she'd be fine as long as she drank a lot of water that night and had _good_ friends keep an eye on her. Ron and Monique immediately volunteered for the task. The officers took the cup as evidence, and got in the vehicle to leave. As the squad car pulled away, people started drifting back into the apartment to the party. After making sure Kim was really going to be okay, Nina, Monique, and Viktor joined the rest of them. Kim, on the other hand, leaned into her fiancé's shoulder as they watched the flashing lights slowly disappearing down the road.

"I'll be glad when New Year's gets here, Ronnie, and we can tell everyone about us and our engagement," she said as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "Maybe then they'll stop making plays at trying to split us up."

Ron smiled and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Me too, KP. And just so you know, you're more of a '_real_ woman' than she'll ever be in my opinion."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Ronnie."

After a moment of comfortable silence with both of them staring into the night, he spoke up. "So what do you think—back to the party or pack it in for the night?"

Kim sighed. "To be honest, I'm still ferociously in the mood for a good time, which this party was until this whole sitch happened. And I think it still could be. Plus, I would like to get in a few more dances with my ferociously hot boyfriend. But no more drinks except water for the rest of the night. For either of us. And only in cups we get and refill ourselves."

Ron grinned as he hugged her. "Sounds badical to me, KP. But only if you're really up for it."

Kim leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him gently before pulling out her secret weapon.

"Please, Ronnie?" she said as her bottom lip pushed out and her eyes started getting wider.

Ron smiled. "Okay. But before we pull out the bon-diggity dancing, let's get that water. I'm parched."

"Deal," Kim replied with a grin as they returned to the party.

* * *

Bates frowned. "You have failed again!" he sneered at the squad of monkey ninjas before him. "Do you not want our Lord to return!"

The monkeys all made sounds that indicated they _did_ want Monkey Fist back.

"Then prepare for another attempt in the very near future," he replied before he turned and stormed out of the room, heading for D.N. Amy's lab. "Milady, how goes your attempts at achieving our common goal?"

The bespectacled woman frowned. "Well, for Option Two we still need the key ingredient I spoke of. And right now we're having as much luck obtaining it as you are obtaining Stoppable's mole rat. It's constantly under surveillance by those nasty people, and my poor Orangupi can't even get close to it."

The stocky man glowered. "We are running out of time, my dear Amelia. The necessary celestial alignment happens in only six weeks, and we must have time to prepare the key component regardless of whether it is the mole rat or the other one."

D.N. Amy shook her head. "If we want to do it now, maybe. But we do get another chance if we miss this one, remember."

Bates ran a hand over his face. "The longer we wait, the more time we give those wretched teenagers to figure out what we're up to. I guarantee the only reason they haven't already shown up here is that they would never think to look for us here."

The rogue bio-geneticist smiled. "And why would they? Especially if they know what we're after, this would be the last place they expect us to be. And if they haven't yet figured it out, it's even less likely that they'd expect us to be here. Now quiet, I'm trying to concentrate here."

She pulled a lever, and smoke and electricity began to spew violently forth from the machine she'd constructed. After only a few seconds of the light show, she shut it down.

"Still no luck on Option Three, I'm afraid," she said sadly. "I just can't get a good sample without taking a chance of hurting him."

The door to one chamber of her redesigned Genetic Zipper slid open, once more revealing a stone statue of a man with his arms extended as if he were trying to prevent something from coming at him. Several chips were missing from the stone-encased version of his hair.

Bates sighed. "It looks like we must obtain either one ingredient or the other if we are to revive you, Milord. And maybe both."

* * *

Wade frowned as he looked at the screens before him. He was currently running three separate yet equally important searches, and none of them were turning up anything of importance. On one computer, he was running a search for clues on either D.N. Amy's or Alfred Bates's whereabouts, but nothing was coming up, not even a random sighting by a traffic camera. The second machine was scanning for any more sightings of Ivan Gerhardt, but that too was coming up with absolute zeros. The third computer held probably the least critical but still important search of the three, but Wade had set it for automated search so he could focus on the other two—that one was conducting the search for Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey.

The last one had recently been revealed to be even more important when Andy Lipsky had contacted the tech genius recently and told him about the incident that had sent Sheila Godfrey to the hospital. Team Possible's blue-skinned former enemy had also revealed the information about Aviarius's technology being originally developed by his mint-green companion's mother. He'd asked Wade to run another search for Aviarius, but the tech genius had denied the request. His system could only run four searches at a time, and the fourth channel needed to be kept open in case they needed it for a mission. Wade already didn't feel entirely comfortable about not having the general news search running constantly, but the three currently running were more important than general searching for random hits.

Deciding to take a break, Wade set the fourth search to the general search and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes in weariness. He hated times like this, times when he felt completely inadequate in his set role in Team Possible. His whole main purpose on the team was to gather information and create gadgets and gizmos, and since his gadget muse was apparently taking an unannounced vacation at the moment, the information gathering was all he had. He stared up at the ceiling, gazing wistfully at the white stucco paint that currently looked a light shade of blue due to the lights being off while the computers were on.

As if this weren't bad enough, Katrina had grown cold towards him the past few days. What was it about younger women that they couldn't understand when the safety of the world needed to take precedence over "cuddle time" or going to the movies together? And for that matter, why did she always laugh when he told her that he'd be doing this kind of thing for as long as Kim and Ron wanted to keep Team Possible running? Wade grumbled to himself a bit about her inability to understand that he was a vital member of the team.

_Younger women,_ he groused. _You'd think I would have learned my lesson on that one when I was with Olivia Johnson._

He spun his chair slowly around a few times in both directions, trying to relieve some of the tension he was starting to feel. The whole time, he kept the chair leaned back and his eyes trained on the ceiling. After about five or six rotations in each direction, he returned his gaze to the screen while keeping the chair in leaned-back position. However, that quickly changed when he noticed the very first hit the random search had picked up.

"Priceless Dagger Stolen in Greece," the headline read, but it was the sub-headline that caught the young man's attention. "Vizier's Dagger of Chimpanzania Stolen from Athens War Museum."

Over the years since Kim and Ron's first encounter with Monkey Fist, Wade had trained his eyes to pick up on anything from ancient times that might be monkey-related. The biggest one he kept an eye on was anything that had to do with the Satsuma province in the third century, as they had built an entire culture around monkey and gorilla worship, and supposedly had once been home to a guardian that took the form of a great stone statue while it slumbered. However, two other subcultures also placed high on his watch list. One was Shangorilla, an ancient kingdom situated in what was now modern India that was rumored to have been the home of super-intelligent apes who were said to have been more advanced than modern man. The other was Chimpanzania, a province in Africa that was once home to a line of kings who claimed they were granted special powers by the apes who frolicked in the jungles surrounding the area. And according to the article, the Vizier's Dagger was said to have been one of their most magical treasures.

Wade quickly typed up a full search for the history of the weapon, and was shocked at what he learned. According to the bloody history of the Vizier's Dagger, it was supposed to contain the ability to transfer essences. Upon transfer, each being involved would instantly gain the abilities of the other in addition his own, and the one who initiated the transfer would also transfer any crippling effects to the one he attacked. The catch was that the one who did the stabbing had to have been defeated at some prior point by the one he stabbed. It had led to the dethronement of many of the province's rulers and rise of their successors, all of it started by the Royal Vizier of the first king to be betrayed. However, according to what Wade now read, the Vizier's Dagger had disappeared when invaders killed the reigning king and raided his treasure trove and armory. It had disappeared for thousands of years until it was found in the treasure store of a Roman centurion buried in the catacombs beneath the city, which explained why it had been kept in the Athens War Museum until recently.

Now it appeared someone else had stolen the Vizier's Dagger, and Wade had a dark feeling he knew exactly who that someone was. However, one thing puzzled him. Yes, Rufus had defeated Monkey Fist, but as far as the tech genius knew, Rufus had no part in the defeats of either Alfred Bates or D.N. Amy. How did they plan to use the dagger on Rufus if neither had been defeated by him previously? There was definitely a plot in the works, but right now, Wade could only guess as to what it was. Settling back in with renewed vigor, and not trusting something of this importance to automated searches (even ones he himself set up), the tech genius immediately set to work on a personal search for any and all rituals or ceremony's that involved using the Vizier's Dagger.

As he started working, one thing became painfully clear in his mind, and Kim and Ron needed to know about this, as Mystical Monkey Power was probably going to be at the center of it. Regardless of what the plot involved, it most likely centered on the achievement of a single goal: the revival and return of Lord Montgomery Fiske, better known to the world as the crazed villain who went by the moniker of Monkey Fist.

* * *

a/n

Special thanks to **Slipgate** who has proved invaluable in the development of some key story points lately.

As always, comments and reviews are more than welcome - they're greatly appreciated. They also let me know you guys are still enjoying the story. :)


	16. Chapter 16

A/N

Chapter 16 is up and running!

Kim and Ron are feeling the effects of the previous night, but are still in it enough to pick up on something they didn't know about.

A group wonders how they should proceed with the information they possess.

Rachael's interrogation reveals some startling information.

Kim and Ron are approached by an ally with some unsettling news, and in the process get some much needed information.

A mistake nearly costs one of the teens.

Kim faces a confrontation she didn't expect, with some surprising results.

A thorn in Team Possible's side becomes even more of a problem.

Sheila faces another unexpected trial.

And some things someone said are taken out of context.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you. :)

* * *

Now it appeared someone else had stolen the Vizier's Dagger, and Wade had a dark feeling he knew exactly who that someone was. However, one thing puzzled him. Yes, Rufus had defeated Monkey Fist, but as far as the tech genius knew, Rufus had no part in the defeats of either Alfred Bates or D.N. Amy. How did they plan to use the dagger on Rufus if neither had been defeated by him previously? There was definitely a plot in the works, but right now, Wade could only guess as to what it was. Settling back in with renewed vigor, and not trusting something of this importance to automated searches (even ones he himself set up), the tech genius immediately set to work on a personal search for any and all rituals or ceremony's that involved using the Vizier's Dagger.

As he started working, one thing became painfully clear in his mind, and Kim and Ron needed to know about this, as Mystical Monkey Power was probably going to be at the center of it. Regardless of what the plot involved, it most likely centered on the achievement of a single goal: the revival and return of Lord Montgomery Fiske, better known to the world as the crazed villain who went by the moniker of Monkey Fist.

* * *

The next morning, Kim and Ron both woke with the mother of all headaches. And although Ron's was bad, Kim's was definitely worse, evidenced by the triplicate of naproxen sodium tablets she downed with breakfast that morning. In all the time he'd known her, Ron had only ever seen her take one of the blue headache pills at a time, and this morning she had downed three.

"Are you sure you need to be going to class today, KP?" he asked, a look of worry on his face.

"Look who's talking, Mr. Bloodshot," she groaned as she massaged her temples. "You might want to seriously consider wearing a pair of sunglasses this morning."

Ron grinned, but the grin quickly faded as his own headache surged once more.

"I still can't believe Rachael tried to pull that on you guys," Felix quipped as he bit into an apple.

Monique frowned as she spread cream cheese on a bagel. "Believe it, Felix. Girl didn't even show the faintest hint of remorse, either."

"Well, at least she's where she belongs right now," Felix replied.

Kim sighed. "At least there's that. And we're not being watched by the vultures for the time being."

Evidently, word of the confrontation between Kim and Rachael and the ferocity of Kim's slap had spread faster than Rufus could plow through a block of high-quality cheddar. On most days, Kim and Ron were constantly being ogled by those who hoped their relationship was just for show, but this morning that seemed to be a far less frequent thing. Evidently Kim had finally effectively staked her claim on the young man with that one definitive action, at least for a little while.

Monique grinned. "Girl, after you one-hit Garreth like that, I'd be surprised if anyone ever tries to make another play on Ron for as long as you two are alive."

Ron smiled as he wrapped his arm around Kim's shoulders. "Hey, if that's the case, you won't hear me complaining."

"Good answer," replied Kim with a peck on his cheek.

Felix swallowed his latest bite. "So what are you guys going to do about whoever tried to take advantage of Kim?"

Monique cringed as both Kim and Ron stared at him blankly.

"What are you talking about, Felix?" Ron said with a suddenly very concerned look.

Kim also started getting a funny look. "All that happened to me is that Monique found me knocked out in Vinnie's bedroom." She turned to her BFF. "Right, Monique?"

Felix glanced from the couple to Monique. "But you told me that you found her…

"I'll tell her, Felix," the young woman replied with a frown. "Actually, Kim…there's a bit more to it than that."

"How much more?" Kim replied with a slightly nervous stare.

Monique sighed. "Girl, I don't know how to tell you this…and keep in mind that we don't know who made the play…but evidently when Nina found you someone had been about to try something."

Kim's mouth fell open. "Monique, why didn't you tell us this last night? All you told me and Ron, or the police, was that I was drugged."

"Look, girl, I just told you why: we don't have any proof. And we know that whoever it was didn't get that far before Nina walked in on them, cause you were only partially unzipped."

Kim eyed her BFF with a tweaked expression. "You still should have said something, Mon. Had we known that, Ron and I would have left right then. Especially since whoever tried it could have still been at the party."

Monique shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry, Kim. But that's also the reason I didn't let you out of my sight the rest of the night. And why I insisted you stay in Ron's Unit last night."

Felix smiled, trying to head off the fight before it got too big. "Kim, to be honest I would have done the same thing. Especially after the way I heard you dealt with the news that Rachael spiked yours and Ron's drinks and drugged yours."

Kim frowned. "But that also means that there was another person who should have been in that squad car with her, Felix."

Ron put his arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "KP, I think Monique was more concerned about making sure you were alright than chasing a slim lead."

The red-head took a deep breath. "You're right." She turned back to Monique. "I'm sorry, Monique, and thanks for looking out for me. Just promise me that you'll tell me next time something like that happens."

Monique smiled. "YGI, Kim."

**…**  
**…**

On the other side of the Guardhouse student cafeteria, Emily frowned. "I don't know, guys. I mean, I know I wasn't there, but isn't it possible that Nate and Bricin were involved somehow and turned on Rachael to throw suspicion off themselves?"

Nina shook her head. "If Nate was the one I nearly walked in on, he's got to be even faster than Stoppable is, cause he was out in the living room cheering on Ron and Rachael's dancing when I went out there to get Monique. And Rachael was the one in a costume identical to Kim's, not Bricin. Lambert was actually dressed up as that Shego woman Kim used to fight all the time."

Vinnie rubbed his shoulder. "I'm still not convinced. I still say that Lambert and Highland are the most dangerous out of that group."

Mitzy nodded. "I agree, but without proof, there's not really much we can do, is there Vinnie?"

Nina frowned. "Unfortunately, the best we can do is still just to keep an eye on them. At least they both live off-campus and can't get in the dorms without help. That should protect Kim and Ron slightly."

Emily scraped at her eggs. "I still say we should warn those two about this. If they know it's coming, they'd be better prepared for it."

Vinnie shook his head. "And then they'd be looking over their shoulders the whole time they're here, which they already do enough with Dack still trying to get to Kim. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Ron loses it soon and unleashes some of those powers he used against the Lorwardians on the guy."

* * *

Officer Grant stared down the blonde young woman. "Look, Garreth, we know you spiked the drinks of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable with the Everclear 190 we found hidden in your jacket. So it ain't that hard to figure you also put the drugs in Possible's drink. Now why don't you make this easy on yourself and just confess to it."

Rachael glared at the officer through eyes bleared red from crying. "And I've told you a thousand times in the past eight hours that I don't know what you're talking about when it comes to the drugs."

The policeman slammed a file down on the table. "Look, toxicology analysis of that young woman's cup clearly shows the existence of GHB, a very common 'date rape' drug, and something else that we're still waiting on the results from the lab to identify. Now, just like we know you put the alcohol in the cups, we know it was you who put the drugs in Kim's cup."

A sob. "And I'm telling you I didn't put anything but the alcohol in her cup."

"Well if you didn't, then you must know who did."

"I…DON'T…KNOW!" Rachael screamed through her tears.

"That's enough," another officer said as he appeared at the door to the interrogation. "Her parents sent over a lawyer, and he's invoking her Miranda rights."

* * *

The classes that day were fairly hard for Kim and Ron to get through, but somehow they managed. Really, the only one that gave either of them trouble was Biology, where they were going over a review for a test they would have on Friday. Practices that afternoon were far from fun as well, and both had to make more than one trip to either the garbage can or the bathroom—or in one instance on Ron's end, the sideline. By the time they were walking back to the dorms afterwards, both were looking forward to vegging out for the rest of the night. Thankfully, they'd finished all papers due the next day, including their English papers and the brutal one on the fall of Celtic Civilization that Hyde had assigned to Kim, the night before prior to heading to the party. And Kim, knowing Ron's absentmindedness, had insisted on being the one to print them all out at the library that same night. Now, as they walked slowly side by side, the pounding in their heads was just starting to subside.

"Ugh," Kim complained. "If I see Rachael any time in the next week or so I'm going to open up sooooo many different kinds of kung fu on her."

Ron smiled as he softly rubbed the red-head's neck while they walked. "I know what you mean. I still don't get why she was trying to do that. I mean, I know I'm not that big a catch."

Kim's sudden stop caused him to stumble a bit and fall down butt first in the grass next to the sidewalk.

"Ron, how can you say that about yourself?"

Ron smiled up at her from the ground. "C'mon, KP, we both know I don't have that much going for me."

Kim grinned. "Hmm, let's see." She started counting off on her fingers. "Star halfback of 6-1 G.V.U. Guardians football team. Widely considered responsible for said record. Master Young Chef. Filling out in all the right places. Had a recent growth spurt that puts you at an attractive height. Phenomenal sense of humor that can pull most out of their slump. Fantastic smile that works even when the humor doesn't. World hero. Main one responsible for repelling an alien invasion…stop me when I say anything wrong…"

Ron sighed and pulled out a goofy grin. "Don't forget 'currently engaged to the most badical woman on the planet.' That's the best one in my book," he said as he reached up a hand to jokingly pull her down next to him.

Kim smiled as she let herself be pulled. "Well, they don't know about that one yet. Let's just say that when we're finally able to officially make the announcement I think you're gonna be breaking just as many hearts as our friends and families think I will be, Ron Stoppable."

Ron caught her chin gently with his hand and gazed softly into her eyes. "The only heart I care about is the one you've got, Miss Kimberly Anne Possible," he replied just before pulling her into a gentle kiss.

Just then, a car pulled up alongside where they were sitting. Neither of them recognized the solid jet black 2005 Hyundai Tiburon, but they certainly recognized the driver when the window rolled down.

"Kim, Ron, I need to speak with you. Now, if you don't mind." The look on Dr. Director's face was one of urgency.

"Sure," replied Kim. "What's the sitch, Dr. Director?"

The Global Justice head shook her head. "Not here. Please get in. Quickly."

Kim looked at Ron, who shrugged before joining his fiancée in climbing into the vehicle. Once they were inside, Dr. Director fell silent and sped off the campus. Where she was heading, they hadn't the faintest idea, as she seemed to be driving all over the place, taking numerous turns and backtracks. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the two teens, she pulled into what looked like a rental storage facility. However, instead of stopping, she drove farther into the compound, finally slowing near the back at one of the larger garages. She then pressed a series of buttons on the car's radio, and the garage opened up, revealing not a storage facility but a tunnel leading below ground.

After driving for a few more minutes, the car emerged into a large, cavernous room with only a few desks and computers. One side of the room was devoted to what looked to be a training area, and had a sparring mat, two multi-weight machines, and three firing channels with targets at the end. Another corner appeared to be a sort of emergency living area, with several cots and the barest efficiency kitchen either Kim or Ron had ever laid eyes on. The other corner of the room was set up like an ops center with fifteen different computers, desks, and a large view screen, as well as a medium-sized conference center that maybe sat eight.

This final corner is where Dr. Director led the two concerned teen heroes. She motioned for them to sit at the table while she went to what appeared to be the leader's desk and retrieved several files. When she returned, she handed them each three files and sat down, not at the head of the table, but right across from them. The look on her face was anything but happy.

"Kim, Ron, I apologize for the secrecy, but you should know that G.V.U. isn't safe right now."

Kim blinked in surprise. "But we were under the impression that the university was affiliated with Global Justice. Why wouldn't that be safe?"

Betty folded her hands in front of her face with her elbows on the table. "Gemini. He's got agents on the inside."

Ron scratched his head as he glanced at the files. "How is that possible?"

The Global Justice leader frowned. "We don't know, but recent events have confirmed that not one, but two agents are on the inside."

Kim frowned. "You've evidently known about the infiltration for a while. Why tell us now?"

Betty sighed. "I assume you're both intimately aware of the events involving Miss Garreth last night. And that any holes caused by the alcohol or the drugs used on Kim have been filled in by your friends."

Ron nodded, his hands involuntarily becoming fists. "Yes, we know about what she tried to do. And that someone tried to take advantage of the situation she caused."

Another sigh, this one accompanied by a deep frown. "According to the reports I just received from the Police Chief, Rachael Garreth is not the one who drugged Kim's drink. Nor did she have any knowledge of it. If she had, she would have realized that the miniscule dose you were given would not last very long."

Kim's eyes went wide. "What are you saying, Dr. Director?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Ron added with equally quick rising concern.

Betty fixed them both with a serious look. "Kim, last night someone, and I highly suspect it was a WEE agent, tried to take you out of the picture for at least a few weeks. According to the toxicology reports Chief Brown sent over to me, the alcohol in your drink from Miss Garreth's tampering is what caused you to feel faint and thus stop drinking the soda. Otherwise, you would have continued consuming the beverage, and gotten a much larger dose of the drug, incapacitating you for considerably longer than the few minutes you were apparently out. Maybe as much as a few weeks or more."

Kim's frown deepened. "But why would they want to take me out? We haven't tangled with the WEE since the whole 'Ron Factor' incident."

The Global Justice head frowned. "Kim, there's something you and Ron should know, something I probably should have told you the moment it happened. And even if I hid it then, I definitely should have told you when the new development arose. However, I didn't because I didn't want you two to have to worry about it. Unfortunately, my misjudging of the severity of the situation has put both of you at risk. As Mr. Load was so apt to point out to me a few days ago when I met with him, and as last night's incident undoubtedly proves."

Now it was Ron's turn to frown. "What happened?"

Dr. Director took a deep breath. "Ivan Gerhardt escaped from our prison facility outside of Lescoff, France back at the end of July. And we learned shortly after that incident that the group who broke him out was my brother Gemini and the WEE."

Ron was livid. "You mean to tell us that the person who nearly ruined our lives has been running free and you didn't see fit to tell us! What could possess you to do that? At least if we knew he was out there we wouldn't be caught blindsided!"

Betty frowned. "Looking at it from this side, I agree with you, Ron, but based on what I knew at the time, my path seemed the logical choice."

Kim wasn't any bit less incensed with the older woman, and stood up while slamming her hand on the table. "Betty! You do realize that that…that…_monster_ wanted both me and Ron dead, right? And what would you have done if he'd struck before last night? And even worse, what if he'd been successful?"

Betty held up her hand. "Kim, we don't know that Gerhardt organized this. It's only a theory right now."

Kim dropped back into the chair with her arms crossed. "You still should have told us, and you know it."

Dr. Director frowned and sighed. "Yes, I do…now. And that is also why I am opening up right now to any questions you or Ron might have about this or any other incident. Anything you want to know, ask."

Kim eyed her with a disapproving stare. "And you think that will make this right?"

Her gaze was met with one of regret. "No, but I think this proves just how unwise it is for there to be secrets between us. So anything the two of you want to know about things that have happened to you thanks to Global Justice, this is your chance to ask."

Ron frowned. "I think my first question is why doesn't everyone know that G.V.U. is affiliated with Global Justice? I mean, it was practically spelled out on the website that Wade pulled up in May."

Betty nodded. "That wasn't the official website he accessed, but a planted site that was set up that week, and taken down that week. We knew from your conversation with Will that you were having Wade look into it, so we set that up to help you along. The information on there is normally kept in a database mainframe that is inaccessible from the outside. And before you ask about security risks, only Mr. Load was able to gain access to the site at that time, thanks to information provided to us by Agents Demond, Cranston, and Burman. We also only give that information to people who have shown a potential to become Global Justice agents in the future, such as the three of you. That also includes your two friends, Monique Robinson and Felix Renton."

Kim pushed her hair back behind her right ear. "So to the rest of the world?"

Another nod. "To the rest of the world, Global Vanguard University is just another high reputation university. Not even all of the faculty are completely aware of the university's connection with Global Justice. And all the alumni who are offered jobs with us and turn them down are required to not give any information on it, which is why you ran into difficulty asking Steve Barkin about the college."

Both Kim and Ron pondered that for a moment before another question popped into his mind. "What's the connection between you and Kim's mother?"

Dr. Director sighed. "We were best friends in high school, and then we both got offered scholarships to G.V.U. However, your mother turned it down because she didn't want to take the chance of becoming embroiled in Global Justice. To be honest, before I took over, we didn't have the nice reputation we have, and were actually considered the darker side to agencies like the CIA, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Interpol because we took on things they wouldn't even touch. Anne didn't want that life, nor did she want her children to have that. To be honest, it caught me by surprise when she let you pursue the mission work, Kim."

Kim blinked a few times. "But Mom said she didn't even know you went to college in the same city, let alone the same state."

"Unfortunately, the two of us lost touch after high school graduation. When she left Mississippi without saying goodbye, I figured she'd just decided to move on, so I never tried to reconnect. That's also why I've never asked you how she was doing."

Now Kim hit upon one that bugged her. "I get that you were trying to keep G.J.'s involvement with the college a secret, but what was with the cold shoulder when Dementor attacked back in August?"

Betty rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Because that same day is when I learned of the identity of Ivan's rescuers and current employer. I was worried that if we had talked about the attack, the subject might come up, so I chose to get what I needed and end the conversation there." She glanced at her watch and started to rise. "Unfortunately, I need to get you two back fairly soon or people will get suspicious, so unless there's something else you need to know…"

Kim spoke up. "Actually, I do have one other question…well, pair of questions."

Betty sighed, but settled back into her chair. "And I promised to answer, so you may ask."

The young woman motioned around the room. "First off, what is this place?"

Betty smiled for the first time since they arrived. "This is the headquarters of the Fury Faction, a group of Global Justice agents I created as a contingency should another incident like the one with Gerhardt occur and succeed. And only agents I completely trust and have confidence will agree are invited to join. Current members are Tomoe Shioda, Jacques Ferris, Dash Demond, Crash Cranston, Burn Burman, Will Du, and myself. We also have another few agents in the field who are members, but right now I can't disclose who they are without compromising their undercover status. But trust me that all of these agents are completely trustworthy and completely at odds with the direction Gerhardt would have taken Global Justice in had he taken over."

Kim took a deep breath. "Okay. And the second is: why is the security at G.V.U. so lax? I mean, I've yet to see any indications of the break-ins to Ron and Felix's Unit, and it's happened twice now."

Betty frowned at that one. "Kim, Ron, you're going to have to trust me on that one. Unfortunately, if I tell you why that is, it could jeopardize things even further than they already are. I know you're not satisfied with that, but it's all I can safely tell you."

After she dropped them back at the campus and was sure they had returned to their dorm, Dr. Director made a video call from the car. A thin, lithe man with dark brown hair and the beginnings of stubble on his chin appeared on the screen.

"What's your status?" she said with a concerned look.

The guy frowned. "Infiltration is good, but I worry about her nerves. Her known accomplice is putting pressure on her, and she's also convinced that there are others sent in by your brother as well. I'm beginning to fear for her safety, Elizabeth, and the secrecy of this operation. Not to mention the well-being of Team Possible. If she has to do what she thinks she'll have to, this could spiral out of control very quickly. And I'm talking Toronto in '87 out of control."

Betty winced noticeably. Very few members of the public knew anything had even occurred in Toronto, Ontario in 1987, but practically every spy in the world knew of the powder keg that had been narrowly avoided. It was only a last-second mission of desperation conducted by Global Justice's rising star Elizabeth Director and this particular agent that had prevented the situation from getting much worse. Although the results had eventually led to Betty being named head of G.J., that mission had cost the woman her eye, as well as other things she didn't like to think about. If things were that bad, time was definitely not on their side.

"Alright, keep me informed, both on her and her mission."

"Roger on that."

"And Joe? Thanks."

"Just doing my duty, Lizzie," the Canadian secret agent said with a smile that was warmer than she remembered. "No thanks are necessary."

* * *

Thursday somehow seemed brighter than the day before. Maybe it was the fact that nothing new appeared that morning to add to the already large amount of worries Kim and Ron already had to deal with. Or maybe it was the knowledge that they finally had a few answers to some of the mysterious things happening around the G.V.U. campus. Of course, it could have simply been the fact that both were no longer dealing with hangovers or drug-induced fogs. Whatever it was, the day started on an unusually positive note. Too bad it couldn't have stayed that way.

Professor Barkin surprised everyone with an on-the-spot pop quiz worth a hundred points, and no one did very well. Even Kim, who it would later be revealed got the best score in the class, barely managed to pull out an 81% on it. Ron wasn't too far behind her, but he definitely struggled with the test as well. And Professor Barkin whistling and clucking his tongue in disappointment over the report papers they turned in while they were taking the thing certainly didn't help matters. When the teacher let the class out a few minutes early, no one hung around afterwards. That is, no one except the two Professor Barkin _implicitly asked_ to stay: Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.

He looked them both over with questioning looks. "Mr. Stoppable, Miss Possible, I have a…ahem…situation on my hands that is most definitively not groovy by any generation's standards. However, I am hoping that it is possible that this is merely a misunderstanding due to careless typing mingled with a bit of exhaustion from being overworked. Either that, or something else easily explainable."

The two stared at him blankly, unsure of what he was referring to.

Kim frowned. "Umm, Professor, we're not really sure what you mean."

He held up their papers. "Leaf through these, if you don't mind."

Ron took the one offered to him, and Kim took the one offered to her. Ron's blank look merely continued, but Kim's dropped into one of sheer horror.

"Notice anything?" the teacher asked coolly.

Kim immediately closed the paper she was reading. "Professor, I am so sorry. I don't know how this happened."

Chris Barkin smiled. "Kim, it's okay. You two are the last people I would ever suspect of cheating, which is why I asked you both to stay behind for a bit."

Ron was puzzled. "Cheating? What are you talking about?"

Kim handed him the paper with her cover sheet on it with a look of sheer embarrassment on her face. Ron flipped through the pages, but still couldn't quite figure out what all the fuss was about.

"Hey, this paper is pretty good. I don't see the problem."

Kim frowned. "Ron, the problem is that it's your paper. When I printed out our papers the other night I must have printed two copies of yours by mistake." She turned to the teacher. "I swear I didn't realize I'd done this when I turned it in."

Professor Barkin held up his hand. "Everything's groovy, Kim, don't worry. Now, I realize you have a class after this one, but when is your next period of free time going to be?"

Kim smiled in relief. "My next class gets out at 12:15."

The teacher nodded. "Okay, so I'll check my box at 1:00 this afternoon. If your paper is there, it will be excused. If not, then we will have a very serious problem, Miss Possible. Are we clear?"

Kim nodded quickly. "Yes sir, perfectly clear."

As they left the classroom, Kim quickly dug into her book bag. "Oh no!" she gasped out in a deeper rasp than normal as she pulled out what was supposed to be her paper for Hyde's class.

"Don't tell me…" Ron said, instantly feeling great sympathy for her.

Kim's mad dash down the hall was all the reply he needed.

In the library, which was right next to Wayland (_Thank God for small miracles_, Kim thought wryly), the red-head quickly downloaded and printed her eight page paper on the fall of Celtic Civilization. Unfortunately, the library computer lab's main printer chose that moment to have a nervous breakdown, and the back-ups weren't meant to take so many documents on at once. Glancing frantically at the watch on her wrist Kimmunicator, Kim realized there was barely enough time to get to Hancock Hall. She quickly checked the order of her papers, and slammed the stapler on them before throwing the packet in her satchel and flying out the doors at a dead run. If there were ever a time she was grateful for the excellent conditioning she'd acquired through the years from both the missions and cheerleading, this was it, as she knew she wouldn't even come close to making it if she didn't sprint the entire way. Many heads turned as the blur of red hair sped by them, all wondering what in the world could have made the always punctual Kim Possible late.

As she bounded up the steps of a Hancock stairwell, Kim glanced at the watch on her Kimmunicator. If she was set right, she had less than a minute to make it to class. She pushed her leg muscles for everything they were worth, not even caring that her thighs were beginning to ache under the strain. Once at the fifth floor, she gasped in horror as she saw Hyde mere feet from the door. She broke into a dash, and was going so fast she eclipsed the professor and nearly ran past the door, only barely managing to grab the doorframe and slow herself enough to make the turn. Once inside, she quickly pulled out her paper and slipped it onto the pile on the teacher's desk just seconds before Dr. Hyde shut the door. As she did so, she noticed the pile was remarkably short.

"Cutting it close, aren't we, Miss Possible?" he said with sly smirk. "I certainly hope that you remember our little discussion from last time."

Kim nodded, unable to speak because of the need for air. As she headed for her seat, she caught a look from Drea, one that didn't seem to speak of good tidings. Kim cringed, hoping that if the young woman hadn't been able to convince all the students to go for eight pages to support the red-head that she'd at least cut hers back down to the six she'd been assigned.

"Well, well, well," Dr. Hyde said with a satisfied smirk, still having yet to touch the pile of papers. "It appears that we don't have enough essays here. I wonder how many foolishly decided to support Miss Possible's little uprising."

Jason Adams stood up confidently. "There's a reason that stack is too short, _Sir_," he said with a disparaging bite into the final word. "We wanted to send a message to you, and this is the best way to do it."

He walked forward, and flipped through his report. "One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight," he counted out before placing it on the stack.

Hank Jones was up next. "Eight pages, as promised, _Professor_."

A girl that Kim had yet to learn the name of came up. "_Eight_ pages, the required amount."

Kim watched in shocked surprise as practically everyone came up and did the same thing. Finally, it was Drea's turn.

"_Eight pages, Doctor,_" she spat. "As well as a handwritten letter from Dr. Nephiri Neissera, the Dean of the History Department. And she finds your little 'disciplinary assignment' rather distasteful and out of bounds, if you ask me."

Dr. Hyde's eyes narrowed. "You realize of course that all of those who have just turned in papers did so meaninglessly. I shut the door just seconds after Miss Possible placed her paper on the stack, meaning that the time to turn in your essays had passed."

Drea smirked as she returned to her seat. "Not according to your syllabus, Dr. Hyde," the girl replied, waving a paper through the air and letting her metal chain-link bracelet clatter intentionally. "And I quote: 'All papers are due before I shut the door and place my hand on the turn-in pile.' And you have yet to touch that pile of essays, Sir."

Hyde sputtered in angered disbelief. "Alright…alright, then. But did you also get the same response from those who turned their papers in before Miss Possible? Because I meant what I said about deductions if I find even one essay that is the required _four pages_."

Jason Adams eyed him. "Check for yourself. There were a few who didn't wish to participate in our demonstration, but you'll find no paper there under eight pages. I might even wager that you'll find some longer than that."

Just to check, Hyde quickly went to the bottom of the pile, and found to his chagrin that the young man had spoken the truth.

"Very well, then everyone starts off with a five-point deduction."

Drea shook her head. "Do that, or take even one point off unfairly, especially from Kim's paper, and Dr. Neissera will hear about it. And she assures me that you'll be in front of a review board faster than you can blink if she has to get involved."

Dr. Hyde's frown reached epic proportions, and his acid gaze turned towards Kim. "I swear, Miss Possible, you had better pray that you don't decide to major in History or Archaeology, or I…"

"You'll what?" said a woman who stood up at the back of the class. Based on her skin color and accent, Kim pegged her instantly as having come from the Nile River region, maybe even directly from Cairo.

The color drained from the old man's face. "Doc…Doctor Neissera? What are you doing here?"

The tanned, dark-haired woman eyed him challengingly. "Go on, Ulysses, finish your statement."

He looked down, took a deep breath through his nose, and looked back up, the rage returning to his face. "Nephiri, this young woman has challenged me every step of the way in this class. She constantly corrects me, and has the nerve to talk back when I am trying to teach."

"Dr. Hyde, from what I have heard from several of these students, Miss Possible has done nothing of the sort. According to what I hear tales of, Kim only questions facts when she feels she must. As for the talking back, the only incident that any of this class has reported to me as being even close to that is when she challenged your wrongful assumption that all of these students would be out drinking Tuesday night like your picture of the 'typical college student.' An assumption that, even if you have it, it is against University policy for you to voice."

More sputtering from the old man's mouth. "P-p-preposterous! I have done no such thing, and I make no such assumptions!"

Dr. Neissera frowned. "This class is dismissed except for Hank Jones, Jason Adams, Drea Saunders, and Kim Possible. The rest of you are to clear out now."

A classroom had never emptied faster as the rest of the students quickly packed their things and scrambled for the door. Although all of them wanted to see Dr. Hyde put in his place, no one wanted to see how this was going to turn out. Once the last student was out the door, Dr. Neissera shut it and locked it.

"Now, I asked Kim and you three to stay because you all possess pertinent information to this situation."

**…**  
**…**

Around an hour and a half later, things were finally sorted out, though things were far from "Boo Yeah" material. Kim was shocked to learn that the main reason the three other students in the room had jumped to her defense was because they each knew of incidences where Dr. Hyde had graded the red-head unfairly. Drea, whom Kim had compared tests with after they had gotten them back, presented a clear case of prejudice against Kim's essays. Hank, whom Kim had worked on a project with (albeit a stormy partnership at best), revealed that while the grades were supposed to be equal, he had gotten a higher grade than Kim had. But it was Jason who held the most damning evidence against the teacher, for as an assistant to another professor he had seen Dr. Hyde knowingly grade at the least three of Kim's one-page papers without even pausing to read them. The very idea that a teacher was so prejudiced against her, and for no other reason than he mistakenly thought she wanted to be treated special, shook Kim to the core.

However, she also got reassurances that it would never happen again.

"Unfortunately, Kim, it's too late in the semester to transfer you to the other class," Dr. Neissera said with an apologetic frown. "But if you ever even suspect of something like this happening in the future, you let me know personally. And Ulysses, you will go back and re-grade everything Kim has turned in—_fairly_ this time—and give her the grades she has rightfully earned. If I hear of anything else like this, even your vaunted tenure won't save your career."

"Yes, Dr. Neissera," the old man replied, though Kim could still see the hatred for her behind his eyes.

The Dean turned back towards the young woman. "Kim, I want to extend my deepest apologies for this. Rest assured that not all teachers here at G.V.U. are like this, especially here in the History Department."

The red-head nodded. "Thank you," she replied, still completely taken aback as she left the room.

The minute she was outside Hancock and a good distance away from the building, Kim sat down on a bench in shock. Never once had she ever even thought to ask Dr. Hyde for any sort of special treatment, and yet he had been operating under the unfair assumption that she had thought she deserved it. What was worse is that the old fart had used that assumption as reason to lower her grades. As she sat there trying to wrap her head around the sitch, the minutes ticked slowly by. She was finally brought out of her confusion by a familiar sound.

_Beep Beep Be-Deep._

She glanced wearily at her Kimmunicator, but smiled anyway when she activated it. "Hi, Wade. What's the…Ron?" she said in surprise.

"Hey, KP, where are you?"

She looked around, as she was somewhat unsure where here aimless wandering had taken her. "Just on the other side of the clearing from Hancock. Why?"

Ron frowned. "Uh, KP, have you put your actual paper in Professor B.'s box yet?"

Kim shook her head. "No. Why?"

Ron suddenly looked a little panicked. "Okay, send it through the Kimmunicator. I'll print it for you."

Kim shook her head. "Ron, what are you talking about, it's only…" She glanced at her watch. "…12:45. I've got plenty of time."

"KP…" he said pointedly.

"Ron, re…" Then it hit her. "Oh no…alright, have you got a jump drive handy?"

Ron nodded, and held up the memory stick. "Right here and waiting. I had it plugged in when I called you. Plugging it back in now."

Kim breathed a quick sigh of relief. "Okay, sending now."

She quickly pulled out her own jump drive out of her bag and plugged it in to her Kimmunicator. Then she pulled up the necessary file and sent it to Ron's version of the device.

"Hurry, Ron!" she pleaded.

"On it, KP. Meet me outside Wayland?"

"With a hundred kisses of gratitude for my ferociously amazing fiancé," she replied with a smile.

As the screen went back to the TP logo, she sagged back into the bench to regain her head for a moment, a smile growing on her face. But only for a second, as one of the last people she wanted to see popped out of the bushes right at that instant, a video camera in his hand. His air looked oily even under natural light, and his sharp-looking suit and mirror sunglasses sparkled in the midday sunlight.

"I knew it! You two are more than you've let on!" Willie Finkman yelled triumphantly as he held the camera aloft. "And now I've got proof! So, Miss Possible, care to comment before I tell your secret to the world?"

The smile on Kim Possible's face quickly disappeared.

* * *

Sheila groaned as she sat up and reached around behind herself to rub beneath her shirt. She'd heard tales of this, of how pregnancy could be murder on the expectant mother's back, but she'd never expected it to be this bad. Worse was that there was currently no one there to help her with it. Hector was at his Bueno Nacho location, where he'd been preparing for some big presentation for the past week now. Melvin was off…somewhere doing…something—most likely something of the self-centered variety. The twins were both off at school, and wouldn't be home for another half hour. And Andy was out doing a grocery run, specifically one that she herself had asked him to do.

Although the first few months of living in this town had been rough, the citizens of Go City were finally starting to accept that Sheila Godfrey and Andy Lipsky really had pulled a complete one-eighty in their intentions. As such, they were no longer suspicious of either of them when they carried out everyday tasks like going to the market. Some still gave the couple funny looks when they were together, however, which was why Sheila had opted to stay home for this particular trip. Not to mention that her feet were killing her as they had started to swell a little bit. Well, that and she was still doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

Ever since they'd made the discovery about the twins gaining their powers early, Sheila Godfrey had been forced to basically walk on eggshells all the time when it came to her emotions and stress level. It would have been no easy feat regardless, given her normally erratic moods, but the extra hormones caused by carrying a pair of twins made the task all the more difficult. Since that fateful night, she'd already had two episodes where her stomach lit up like that reindeer's nose, but thankfully both times she'd managed to calm herself back down before things flared out of control. All it took was remembering the mediation techniques she'd picked up from her fight master when she was a teenager. It had been years since she'd used them, since it paid for a villainess who was known for her fighting to be anything but calm, but now the old training came in real handy.

However, times like now, when her back was killing her and she couldn't focus, made those same techniques almost worthless. As she tried to remain calm, she began breathing deeply, hoping the ache would subside quickly. What she didn't count on, however, was the alarm system suddenly going off…

_BRRRRNNN! BRRRRNNN! BRRRRNNN!_

Sheila cringed as the sound invaded her senses now just like it had in the old days when she was still a full-fledged member of Team Go. As fast as she could waddle, she made her way to the main computer, grateful that she hadn't been up in her quarters but instead in the common room just next to the ops center. Quickly she punched in the old code, and was rewarded with new alarms.

"Place hand on console!" a deep, computerized version of Hego's voice commanded.

Doing her best to keep level while she did so, she fired up her green glow and placed her hand on a sensor pad. It was a fail-safe Hego had built in years ago in case the Go Tower were to ever be infiltrated, and it saved Sheila's sanity now. As the new alarms calmed down, she wondered in the back of her mind why her brothers had never removed her glow signature from the database. But this wasn't the time to focus on that. She quickly pulled up the battle screen, and was horrified to find that the alarm that had been tripped was a Code 4—an infiltration! How was she supposed to defend this place alone and in her condition?

_Pull yourself together, woman!_ she quickly admonished herself bitterly. _You may have switched to the good side, but you're still Sheila Godfrey, a.k.a. Shego, the toughest bad-ass bitch on the planet! And being pregnant doesn't change the fact that you can still kick major butt!_

She quickly typed some codes into the console, and put the whole tower on emergency lock-down status. Then she pulled up the analysis systems to determine who she was up against, and came across a face she hadn't seen in years. What surprised her more was the fury she saw on the woman's face, a dark look that spoke of sinister forces. And even more surprising was that this person was _attacking_ Team Go headquarters.

_But,_ Sheila thought to herself, _at least I know I can take this one on alone if I have to._

She quickly activated the rest of the Tower's defenses, and put the computer into lockdown. Then she took a deep breath before heading off to the hangar, the point of invasion. Inside, she found the one person she'd never expected to fight while representing the side of good.

"Hey, Misty, long time no see," she spat at the hovering female.

"Misty Calloway is dead, Shego. She died the day you betrayed this city, as did her quest to save the people of this pathetic city. Now, I'm known as Mystica, Dark Mistress of Magic!"

Sheila couldn't help the smirk. "Dark Mistress, my foot! You couldn't hurt a fly if you sat on it. And it's Sheila now, not Shego."

The naturally white-haired former fellow protector of Go City sneered, flexing her fingers in their black, elbow-length gloves. "A fly…HAH! I've harmed hundreds of insects since you left! Though so many of them have been of the human variety that I've quite frankly stopped counting or caring. Only your brothers have ever managed to subdue me, and then only after I dealt out great injuries to them. However, you, _Sheila_…you I will take great pleasure in utterly destroying!"

A dark energy started to swirl around her skin-tight, blood red corset-style costume, and her hair began to crackle and whip about her face, though it never seemed to touch it. Her shiny, black leather and latex thigh-high boots began shimmering in the shadowy aura. Even her eyes seemed affected, as they became black as night with white circles replacing her irises.

Sheila spat on the ground as her fists fired up. "Nice light show. Now either put up or shut up!"

"Fine," the woman hissed. "Try THIS on for size!"

She raised her fists, and a pair of crackling energy beams began firing out and heading at high speed at the mint-skinned woman. Sheila quickly countered with her own abilities, parrying the blasts perfectly with her green plasma blasts. But something was different about this blast, and Sheila could feel it almost immediately. She'd always been able to produce particularly strong beams, but the ones she now fired seemed particularly concentrated. She could also feel waves moving along the green and black plasma shots, like something was super-charging them. And the effect was immediately apparent.

Although she'd only wanted to counter Mystica's attack, Sheila's green plasma bolts began overtaking the villainess's attack, seeming to feed on the dark energy and grow stronger! And more frightening in Sheila's mind was that she could not stop firing, or move her hands so that the blast would be redirected! It was as if something were controlling her! At this rate, her once closest friend would soon be reached and obliterated by the sheer force of her plasma shots!

"Misty! Look out!" she screamed as the bolts inched closer, growing larger by the second.

However, at that moment, a sudden surge flowed through Sheila's hands and up the blasts in rolling green waves, smashing Mystica through the wall and out over the water! It was only then that the mint-green woman was able to regain control and shut off her powers. She strained her eyes through the smoke caused by the rubble that continued to fall from the hole, and waited with bated breath until she saw the heroine-turned-villainess limping through the air a hundred yards away and growing. With a large output of breath, she sank to the ground, staring at her hands.

Only one time in her life had Sheila ever experienced a lack of control with her Go Team Glow, and that had been the few weeks after she first got them. Once she'd learned to control them, she'd been able to fine tune her energy shots to where she could be destructive enough to destroy things as large as triple-thick safe doors twice her height or finite enough to laser a millimeter-wide line in a piece of paper without harming the desk beneath it. Or, in some cases, she could use only enough to give her punches and chops just a little more power. But never, in all that time, had she ever come as close to killing someone as she had just now when she very nearly eliminated Mystica.

As she stared at her shaking palms, she couldn't quit worrying about what else she wouldn't be able to stop…

* * *

That evening, Kim and Ron sat huddled together on the couch in her Unit, watching the television. Normally, they wouldn't watch the program they were tuning into, but tonight, they had special reason to. Monique and Viktor were also sitting there in the living room of the Unit, him in a chair while she sat on the ground between his legs.

"Just remember, girl," Monique said, trying to reassure her best friend, "nothing Willie the Weasel says is going to be taken seriously by anyone who matters."

Kim shook her head, and leaned more into Ron's embrace. "That's just it, Monique. Finkman doesn't just have speculation now—he has actual footage of me calling Ron my fiancé. And he also has my comments on it."

Ron smiled. "I still don't understand why you even talked to him, KP."

Kim frowned. "Ron, if I didn't talk to him, he would have taken the clip and blown it completely out of proportion. At least this way, he can't distort things to fit what he wants them to say."

Viktor rubbed his chin. "I don't know, Kim. Finkman isn't known for keeping things in proportion, regardless of what the people he's talking about have to say on the matter."

Kim shrugged and settled in as the theme for _Star Watch_ came on.

Willie Finkman smiled a large, slick grin. "Tonight on _Star Watch_, we have the scoop of the millennium! For months now there has been speculation that the teen heroes Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, better known as the leading members of Team Possible, have been more than they appear to be. Well, yours truly has obtained exclusive footage that confirms that not only are they dating…"

"Here it comes," cringed Kim.

"They are in fact _already married_!"

"WHAAAAT!" Kim yelled in disbelief. "That's not what I told you, you jerk!"

A clip of Kim began to play. "Ron's everything to me. He already had my heart, so it was just natural for me to say yes when he asked me if I would marry him."

Willie smiled as the frame froze on Kim's smile. "So, sorry to tell you this folks, but Kim Possible is officially off the market! But this brought up another question, one she was only too willing to answer."

The clip switched to Willie. "So Kim, how long have you guys been together officially?"

Back to Kim. "Well, it happened back in June, a few days after my birthday in fact. And it only seems right for me to be with him for the long run."

Now Willie the host smiled again. "So, it appears that Kim Possible is now Kim Stoppable. But the question is: why did she and Ron hide the fact for almost half a year?"

At that point, the television clicked off.

"Hey!" yelled Kim just slightly above her normal voice.

Monique shook her head as she set down the remote. "Sorry, Kim, but this for your own good. If you want to corral this thing before it gets out of hand, you need to start the damage control now, girl."

Ron nodded. "She's right, KP. We need to start the patching up tonight, and the sooner we get on it the better."

"Fine," Kim grumbled, the tweak in her voice obvious. "So where do we start?"

* * *

a/n

For those curious, the headache pills Kim took are also widely known as Aleve.

As always, reviews and comments are more than welcome. :)


	17. Chapter 17

A/N

Chapter 17 is up and running!

Sorry for the delay folks, but with my birthday (complete with surprises that involved) and difficulty closing this chapter, the slight hiatus was necessary. But now I'm back on track, and things should be back on schedule soon. :) Now, on to the story:

Now that the secret is out, Kim and Ron must take action. But first, some important people have to be notified.

Then, at a press conference, Kim and Ron experience the darker side of the media. And how they handle themselves causes some interesting reactions among key players.

Kim and Ron spend some quality time with their families, and the revelation of a treasure holds a special surprise for one of them.

Bates and Amy give us a glimpse of their working status, and also reveal another clue to what they're up to.

And finally, Wade experiences a horrific revelation, one that could prove very treacherous for our heroes.

No big, right?

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you. :)

* * *

Now Willie the host smiled again. "So, it appears that Kim Possible is now Kim Stoppable. But the question is: why did she and Ron hide the fact for almost half a year?"

At that point, the television clicked off.

"Hey!" yelled Kim.

Monique shook her head as she sat down the remote. "Sorry Kim, but this for your own good. If you want to corral this thing before it gets out of hand, you need to start the damage control now, girl."

Ron nodded. "She's right, KP. We need to start the patching up tonight, and the sooner we get on it the better."

"Fine," Kim grumbled, the tweak in her voice obvious. "So where do we start?"

Ron shook his head. "As far as keeping the secret goes, I think that's definitely out the window. But maybe we can salvage some of this."

Kim eyed him with a skeptical look. "And what do you mean by that, Ron?"

The young man took a deep breath. "I think we probably need to go ahead and announce that press conference we were planning to have in January. Except reschedule it for this week."

Kim sighed. "Ron, what good will that do? The news is already out."

"By Willie 'the Weasel' Finkman, KP," he said with a frown.

Rufus, who had been sitting on the arm of the couch, also made a face. "Ugh. Weasel."

Now Kim was feeling just a tad bit tweaked. "It…doesn't…matter, Ron. Regardless of who put it out, the news is still out."

Viktor held up his hand. "I think what Ron is trying to get at here is that you can still discredit what Willie said if you come out with the truth about the two of you being engaged, Kim."

Kim sighed. "Alright, but how do we do that? I mean, it's going to look ferociously wrong if we do this out of order."

Ron put his hand to his chin. "Well, who do we know that's in the media who can throw together a press conference in just a few days?"

Monique smiled. "What about Heather Tyler? She seemed pretty nice to you guys in May."

Kim shook her head. "She might be the best to talk to about it, but unfortunately she doesn't have near the pull to put something like this together as quickly as we need it to happen."

Ron scratched his head. "But if we tell her what the news is about, maybe it'll work. We could also have Wade put out the word. If he can spread a rumor about a fake engine part to lure in Motor Ed in less than half a day, he can probably spread something like this in no time flat."

Viktor shrugged. "I don't think you guys have much choice, Kim."

Kim sighed again. "Okay, but first there's a call I have to make."

**…**  
**…**

Over in Middleton at the Stoppable house, a similar scene was taking place.

"They are not married!" James thundered at the television.

Anne placed her hand on her husband's. "Honey, shhh. You'll wake Hana."

Jean shook her head. "No worries there, Anne," she said with a smile. "We put some sound dampeners in her room after Jim and Tim had that rocket explode in the backyard a month ago. It would take something a lot louder to wake her."

Gene grinned. "She's right. She didn't even wake up the other night when that car with the bass up too high drove past."

Anne frowned. "Still, you need to calm down, James. We all four know that Kim and Ron are only engaged. And everyone knows just what kind of reporter Finkman is."

Her husband was incensed. "Anne, that man has been trying since day one to ruin our daughter's reputation, and this is just further proof of it. It really grinds my beans…no, scratch that…it really pushes my peeve button. No…it grinds my beans _AND_ pushes my peeve button."

Anne was about to respond when at that moment her cell phone rang out into the uncomfortable silence. "Dr. Anne Possible speaking."

Kim's voice came over. "Mom, were you watching the television just now?"

Anne smiled. "Yes, Kimmie, we are. And yes, we had it tuned to _Star Watch_. We haven't missed an episode since Willie Finkman first showed that clip of Ron's nearly calling you his fiancée, just to make sure he hasn't tried to say anything else."

The young woman's voice seemed to both rise and fall at the same time. "So then you saw what he just said, right?"

Anne glanced at James, who was only just now losing the nerve that had been pulsing at his temple. "Yes, we all four saw it."

Kim's gulp was so loud it came through the phone. "All four of you? Even Daddy?"

There was an audible "Eeeep" accompanied by a nervous laugh from Ron coming from the background.

"Yes, Kimmie, all of us," Anne replied with another pointed look at her husband. "And we all know that he wasn't telling the truth."

An audible grateful sigh could be heard issuing from her daughter's mouth. "Okay, but it still means we have to make a statement and come clean about our engagement, or people are going to think that what he said is really the truth."

Anne smiled. "Okay, if that's what you think you need to do."

"It is, Mom. So if you want to run the announcement in the paper, go ahead. As soon as possible would be best."

Anne's grin suddenly grew about twice the size it had been. "Okay, Kim. Anything else?"

The amused smirk on the younger Possible female's face was evident in her voice. "And it'd be nice if you could keep the grinning like a Cheshire cat that ate the canary to a minimum until the ad runs in the paper, Mom."

Her mother's smile stayed right where it was, however. "Kimmie, you know I only do it because I'm happy for you two."

The smile in Kim's voice was evident. "I know, Mom. Love you guys."

"We love you too, Kimmie. Be safe."

Anne closed her phone and turned towards Ron's mother.

"Jeanette, do you happen to have that photo of the kids in the outfits they wore to Middleton's Homecoming this year already developed?"

Jean Stoppable smiled. "Actually, the memory card it was on went to the photo lab Monday, so it should be ready by tomorrow morning when the store opens. They're ready for us to run the announcement, right?"

Kim's mother nodded. "Yes, they gave us the green light. Want to help me write it?"

Jean grinned, and the two women retreated into the recesses of the house. Gene and James watched their wives walk up the stairs for a moment, and then turned to each other with serious yet whimsical looks.

Gene smiled. "I think we're about to be ignored on a regular basis, James."

James shook his head with a grin on his face. "I don't think the wedding planning is starting just yet. At least I hope not."

The elder Stoppable nodded. "True, but if your wife is anything with you Kimberly like mine is with Hana, she's been going over scenarios and settings since the day your daughter was born."

Kim's father shrugged, and turned back towards the television. "I just hope Kim and Ron can handle the questions this thing is probably going to raise."

Gene grinned. "I'm sure they can, James. After all, they face down deadly maniacs on a regular basis. A small thing like a press conference to announce what most people have been expecting shouldn't be too big a task for them to handle."

**…**  
**…**

The next day, _The Examiner_ ran an exclusive front-page story on the "Engagement of the Century: Ron/Kim", highlighted by the full-color picture of Ron in his sharp tuxedo and Kim in her elegant red dress. Contained within the article was the official announcement Anne Possible and Jean Stoppable had put together the night before, including the date the question had been popped, June 2nd. It didn't take long for the inquiries to start flying in, and the main phone line at the Stoppable household was ringing off the hook from 9:00 AM forward. Some of the calls were from legitimate friends who simply wanted to wish congratulations to the proud parents, but most of the callers wanted to know the same burning question: why was the engagement kept a secret? However, all members of the Possible and Stoppable families, even Jim and Tim, gave the same answer—all questions would be answered at the press conference which Kim and Ron would soon be holding.

* * *

The following Tuesday afternoon, November 7th, Kim and Ron felt even more under the microscope than they had nearly six months earlier when they came out about Ron's saving the world. Unlike that conference, this wasn't about the mission work but about their personal lives, something they had always been somewhat successful at keeping out of the public eye. Now, that private aspect of their existence was being pushed into the limelight, something neither was completely comfortable with. In fact, both were a little nervous as they sat once more on a couch in the green room of the Channel 6 news station, waiting for the interview special to start and for Heather Tyler to announce them. Well, Ron was a "little nervous"; Kim on the other hand couldn't stop fidgeting.

"KP, relax," Ron said as he wrapped his arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "We go out, answer a few questions, and then it's all over and done with and we can go back to the safety of our own lives."

Kim wasn't nearly as calm, and kept glancing at the clock on the wall as she continued twisting her engagement ring around on its designated finger on her left hand. "Ron, this isn't like the interview back in May. Heather may be the main interviewer, but that room isn't going to be filled with fans this time around. It's going to be a group of greedy reporters asking a bunch of questions about us, and they're going to make our college announcement look like a five second blurb or two sentence blog post. I mean, _The Examiner_ turned the ad our parents placed into a full front-page story, and these reporters most likely won't have the decency to keep our feelings about our privacy in mind when they write their takes on this. And you know the main thread of their questions is going to be why we got together and why I agreed to marry you and not some guy they feel is a better match for me."

"And what do you think the answer to that is?"

Kim looked at him in disbelief. "Ron, what kind of question is that?"

Ron's face remained straight. "A simple one."

Kim frowned. "Ron, don't tell me you're going back to wondering why I'm with you. I thought we were past this."

Still nothing played across his face. "Just answer the question, KP."

She lifted his arm off of her shoulders and turned towards him, her arms crossed. "Ron Stoppable, I am with you because my heart tells me that you are the perfect guy for me. And no one is going to come along and change my mind about that. Even if he has Josh's artistic talent, Bobby Johnson's cool factor, Brick Flagg's athleticism, Walter Nelson's sensitivity, and Eric…_that thing's_ looks all rolled up into one. To me, no one can top you or what you are to me. Got it?"

Ron grinned. "Yes, and I haven't doubted that badical fact since I put that ring on your finger. Just wanted to make sure you knew it."

Kim smiled, knowing he had gently played her as a way to boost her confidence. She snuggled up closer than she had been earlier. "Nice save," she said with a girlish grin. "Since when did you learn how to instantly make me feel better?"

Ron kissed the top of her head gently. "Think I finally figured it out when you got the braces and I managed to make you smile with the necklace. Or maybe it was when I helped you find Pandaroo when you lost him the summer we were five."

Kim sighed happily, the impending interview momentarily forgotten. "Hey, Ron, can I ask something?"

"Shoot, KP."

"When did you start seeing me as a girl?"

Ron scratched his head. "As a girl? Uh, KP, I never saw you as anything but a girl."

Kim pulled his arm around herself more snugly. "Ron, I know you saw me as possibly a potential love interest long before I saw you that way, and that it was long before the Moodulator got stuck on my neck. I'm just curious when it started, that's all."

Now he understood. But the very same thought made him just the slightest bit nervous, because how was he going to relate the truth to Kim and still keep his love from feeling bad about herself?

"Well, umm…I guess it might have been 9th grade, when we both got jobs at Bueno Nacho, and I chose to come rescue you because I realized being with you was more important than some job." As he said this, he shifted just a bit.

However, the red-head saw through his nervousness. "Ron, please," she admonished, her eyes not quite as wide as the Puppy Dog Pout, but still pleading. "I really want to know this. It's important to me."

Ron sighed. _No getting around it then._

"Okay," he said with a smile, adding his other arm around her to hug her lovingly. "Remember the Walter Nelson incident?"

Kim cringed slightly as she laughed. "Like I could honestly forget that sitch. That day was sooooo way past embarrassing."

Ron flinched a little bit, knowing he was about to reveal something she probably hadn't ever thought about or considered. "Well, do you remember how insistent I was that my mom hurry up and drive faster to get to the orthodontist?"

Kim smiled. "If I remember correctly, you're exact words were, 'C'mon, Mom, you're driving slower than an elephant walks.' Which to be honest still doesn't make much sense to me why you phrased it that way."

Ron winced as he caught a momentary image of an elephant copping an attitude with him when he got mad at it because it was walking slower than a camel. However, the headache vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"But do you know why I said that?"

Kim grinned. "Because you were worried what my dad was going to say when he found out I'd kissed a boy and couldn't stop."

Ron sighed a bit, realizing he had been right in his assumption about her views of the incident. "Yeah, that was part of it."

"Part of it?" she replied with a questioning snuggle under his chin.

"The other part was that I wanted to be the one you were kissing. And I knew that Walter wasn't good enough for you."

Kim's eyes went wide as she realized the implications of what her fiancé was saying, but she kept herself snuggled up as close to him as she could. "So why'd you keep it hidden all those years? Why not tell me?"

Ron sighed and hugged her tighter. "Because you didn't see me that way, KP. And I didn't think that you ever would. Plus, I didn't want to ruin the friendship we already had going."

Kim smiled. "Well, I see you that way now, Ronnie. And if I have anything to say about it, I'm going to have the rest of our lives…several years, hopefully…to make it up to you." With that, she leaned back just enough to reposition herself so that her lips melted to his.

At that moment, the "Channel 6 Special Report" theme came over the intercom and interrupted the moment, and they heard Heather Tyler introducing the reason for the broadcast. Sighing yet smiling, they stood together. Ron helped her smooth and straighten up her navy dress, and Kim removed some lint from his matching blue sports coat, including a few red hairs of well-known origin. Then, hand in hand, they walked out into the studio. There were two tables set up with microphones on mini-stands, one for them and one for Heather, who they had stated must be the head interviewer for the coming circus. Behind those hung a light blue cloth backdrop that was adorned with the logo for the Corporate Broadcaster of America, also known as CBA, and the logo for Channel 6 Middleton set up in diagonal rows. It reminded Ron specifically of the set-up for major sports press conferences, right down to the rows of seats where the reporters sat. Unfortunately, one of those front row seats was taken by none other than Willie Finkman. Even though they'd insisted the slick television host be part of this, neither one of them trusted him to be at all honest about what they were about to say.

The _Star Watch_ host was once again wearing those Aviator-style mirror sunglasses of his, and his dark gray suit clashed horribly with a bright and colorful tie. His hair once again looked like it had far too much oil or gel in it, and his arms were folded smugly across his chest. And the posture he held was a position of extreme satisfaction. However, what annoyed Kim and Ron the most about him was the smug and knowing smirk he wore on his face. Regardless of what they said here today, he had managed to break through their carefully constructed cloak of privacy they'd worked so hard to maintain for going on five years now, and he seemed immensely proud of the fact. As they approached the table where their microphones for the interview were set up, they gave each other hidden looks of slight nervousness. Once they were seated, Heather took up her spot at the main interviewers table, which was set up at about a thirty degree angle from theirs.

"Thank you all for coming and for tuning in," the platinum blonde reporter said with a smile. "Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are here today to answer questions in regards to allegations about their lives, as well as to answer questions concerning a prepared statement. I now turn it over to Kim, who would like to read a statement prepared by both her and Ron concerning recent accusations about their relationship."

As flashbulbs started going off and cameras made zooming-in whirs, Kim took a deep breath and smoothed out the sheet of paper she had placed on the table in front of her when she sat down. Less than half a second later, she felt Ron's comforting arm around her shoulders, and she smiled for the briefest of moments before she began to read.

"Thank you for coming. There have been recent reports made that Ron and I have taken our relationship farther than we have told the majority of the world. While this is partly true, some of these allegations are in fact complete falsehoods brought about by misinterpreted interviews and video clips that have been cut together to create the story that was wanted by the individual responsible for releasing it. However, this fabricated story is not the truth, and we are here today to make the true account of these events and the circumstances of our relationship known. Yes, Ronald Stoppable and I are dating, and yes, we have chosen to keep the extent of that relationship a secret up to this point. We have personal reasons for doing so, but now feel forced to come forward with the complete truth in order to put to rest the rumors and speculations that now threaten the normalcy of our lives and our privacy. Said rumors and speculations are false, and we now choose to give you a true account of what has transpired between us thus far.

Yes, we did start dating on April 8th, 2005 at our Junior Prom, and until this past summer, that was all we were. On the evening of Friday, June 2nd, 2006, Ron asked me to marry him, and I happily accepted. Our immediate families were made aware of this that same night, but for reasons beyond our control we wanted to wait until we could personally share the news with our extended families before we shared our joy with the public. Unfortunately, due to the allegations and accusations that were recently released, we are now unable to follow this desired course of action. For those of you who have read or heard the fabricated story I spoke of, I wish to clarify: Ronald Stoppable and I, Kimberly Possible, are engaged, but as of this moment we are not yet married. This is the eventual plan, but as of right now, it has not yet happened."

As the flashbulbs continued to go off, the first hand into the air was predictably that of Willie Finkman. "So, what, you are saying you don't wish to be married to Ron at this time, Kim?"

Kim shook her head. "That is not what I said. The eventual plan for us is for the two of us to get married to each other, but it has not happened as of yet as _someone_ has already falsely reported."

'The Weasel' kept at it, apparently completely unfazed by her implied accusation. "So then nothing's set in stone yet."

Kim frowned. "As of now, no date has been set, no. But the plan is still for us to marry at some point."

Apparently spurred on by Willie's attack, another reporter raised his hand. "So right now there is no guarantee that a wedding between you two will take place in the near future."

Kim suddenly felt very confined, and began absentmindedly sliding her ring up and down on her left ring finger. "Yes…no…I mean, there is no set plan, but the wedding will happen eventually once we…"

"When?" a third reporter interrupted without raising her hand, her voice a little louder than was necessary.

Kim's breathing quickened a bit, and the ring-sliding hastened. "We don't know at this point, but…"

Now all the reporters were joining in, and the fever of the room was rapidly spiraling upwards as the flashbulbs began sparking more rapidly. "So is this engagement merely a ruse to get the press off of your backs about what the two of you mean to each other?"

"Yes…no…yes…I mean no…," Kim stuttered, unable to believe her own nervous reaction to the sudden barrage of questions. She felt completely out of character, and it unnerved her in ways she couldn't even begin to explain.

Ron, however, merely wrapped his arm more tightly around her shoulders and kissed her cheek softly before whispering gently in his girlfriend's ear, "Let me take over, KP." She needed no coaxing and sat back a little, trying to calm her breathing, although the ring-sliding continued at a slower pace.

The young man turned towards the now standing mob of reporters. "What you need to be aware of is that we are two people who value our privacy when and where we can get it. Due to what we do, we are not afforded the same level of normalcy that most people our age frequently enjoy. However, that is our choice, and we are willing to accept that. But we still take valuable stock in what we are able to enjoy. The main thing that needs to be taken away from this press conference is I love Kim, and she loves me, and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I know that some of you have a problem with me, and don't think that I fit the image of the 'ideal' man for Kim, but I can tell you with no doubt in my heart that she does not share your views. And that her view is the only one that is important to me. I do put stock in what our families say, and take them into serious account when it comes to me and her, but at the end of the day all that matters to me is the love that Kim and I have shared and continue to share."

Willie grinned smugly. "So you're saying that you two have made love, correct?"

"Hey!" an angry Rufus retorted as he popped out of Ron's pocket. "Foul!"

Ron glared at the television host as he politely motioned his buddy back into the pocket. "That is none of your business, Mr. Finkman! What Kim and I have or have not done during our times alone is of no concern to you or that low brow show you host!"

Kim could sense the storm building in the blonde, and quietly slipped her hand into his and squeezed soothingly, praying it was enough to calm the fire before the eyes started to change. "Ron, please, calm down," she whispered as she leaned in towards him. "The last thing we need right now is for Willie to see you go monkey."

Willie's smirk remained. "I notice you have yet to answer the question, Mr. Stoppable."

Heather frowned. "And you were completely out of bounds asking such a thing, Willie."

"The viewers demand the truth," he said with a growing smile. "Particularly viewers who are tired of being lied to. Ron, you and Kim claim you haven't done anything, yet you have also claimed up to this point that the two of you were not engaged. How are we to know now when you tell the truth and when you lie?"

"Hey!" retorted Rufus as he once again popped out, chittering angrily.

Ron stood up so fast his chair toppled over backwards, and this time he made no attempt to quell Rufus's complaint. "Other than a single isolated incident that occurred over four years ago, one that both Kim and I learned a great deal from, we have never been anything but truthful, even answering questions we were uncomfortable with when they could not be avoided! And we have never denied that we were engaged, as the question was never asked in the months since I asked her! All we have ever denied is your claim that we were already married, a fact that remains true now as we have yet to take that course of action."

Reporter Number Three raised her hand. "But you also never admitted to the said engagement. Why is that?"

"Yes, why is that? Why keep it a secret?" a completely separate reporter interjected.

Now it was Kim's turn to lose a little of her cool. "Because we had personal reasons for doing so, reasons we do not wish to share with the public. Why is that so hard for you people to accept?"

Heather frowned, as the situation was quickly spinning out of control, and raised her hands for order. "Everyone, please calm down. Kim and Ron came forward today to admit that mistakes were made and to explain their reasoning behind those mistakes."

Kim stood up and wrapped her arm around Ron's waist. "The only mistake we have made concerning this sitch was calling this…this…_this zoo_. You have our answers, and that is all we wish to say today. We are engaged, and not yet married, although that will happen at some point in the future, at a time of _our_ choosing. And now we consider this issue closed." She bit a little harder into the last sentence than she meant to, but wasn't about to apologize for defending herself or Ron.

With that she pulled slightly on Ron's waist, and the two of them exited, but not before Rufus sent an ill-tempered raspberry in 'the Weasel's' direction. They left the still rising fervor of the studio and retreated to the green room once more. Once there, Kim's composure fell apart completely, and she collapsed on the sofa, burying her face in her hands. Ron could sense that silence was needed right now, and sat next to her, softly rubbing her back, while Rufus scampered out and began softly patting her leg in comfort. Even though the young man knew how stressed the red-head had gotten a few moments ago, the tension he felt back there surprised him, and his gentle rubbing quickly transferred over to a soothing massage. Kim turned away, and he knew from the tilting of her head that the action wasn't her shutting herself off from him but rather a move intended to give him easier access to the tightened muscles in her back.

"Why can't they accept that we're normal people?" she said with a slightly trembling voice that spoke of the frustrated tears she wouldn't let her eyes release.

"Because you two aren't normal," Heather said from the doorway. "Kim, Ron, I hope I'm not intruding on anything, but I just wanted to make sure you're both okay. And I'm sorry about what that became, but unfortunately we knew it was a possibility when you two asked me to set this up with my supervisors. Especially when you insisted that Willie Finkman should be in attendance here as well."

Kim sighed. "I know, but I sooooo didn't think it would be that bad."

Ron half-smiled as he continued to rub Kim's back soothingly. "Hate to say it, KP, but she's got a good point. We're not exactly normal people. I mean, you're a world-saving, kung-fu-kicking cheerleader, and I'm a Mystical-Monkey-Powered-goofball of a partner who helps you out. And that's probably how the world will always see us, even when we get old and gray."

"Never be normal, huh?" she replied with a tired grin, quoting her love's life motto. When she glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes still shone, but the threat of tears had dissipated substantially.

"Exactly," he said with a warm smile and a leaned-in kiss to her cheek.

Heather smiled a little as well. "Would you mind if I asked you two about something?" At their nods, she frowned in concern. "When exactly do you plan to tie the knot? I only ask because out there you didn't sound too sure, and that's not the Kim and Ron I've gotten to know."

Kim was about to answer, but for some reason she sighed and looked at the doorway first. It was a good thing she did so, however, because her and Ron's current least favorite member of the paparazzi was standing there smirking, his silver hand-held video camera blinking its recording light.

"Don't mind me," Willie said with a sly grin as he kept the lens trained on the two young people. "I'm just searching for the truth."

Kim glared daggers at him, ones that she found herself wishing were really there so she could literally pin him to the wall. "And you've gotten all you're going to get at the moment, Weasel," she snapped acidly. "So take that camera and…"

Just before the red-head could finish telling him just exactly what he could do with the device, there was the sound of a door slamming violently, and Kim found herself staring at the now closed door of the green room. She looked over to where the door had shut from, and saw Heather standing there, a fire in her eyes. The thirty-something reporter was also glaring at the door, a look of intense dislike on her face.

"Get out of here, _Weasel_, before I call security! And you should be grateful I don't turn these two loose on you like you've deserved for the past fifteen years!"

Both Kim and Ron were taken aback by the fire of hatred emanating from behind the normally very amicable and friendly blonde's voice, and looked at each other with the same expression: _Where did that come from?_

Heather frowned in disgust as she turned and leaned against the wall, all the while muttering "Still hasn't changed," under her breath. After a moment, she looked up with a smile, and walked over to them. She pointed to a door behind them that neither had noticed was there, and dropped her voice to a whisper.

"If you guys take that stairwell, it'll take you down to the parking garage below. We usually use it for celebrity interviews so that the people don't get mobbed beforehand. The only reason we didn't use it for you back in May was that it was being renovated at the time. When I saw the crowd of reporters who had gathered, I had your Roth SL Coupe towed down there just in case something like this happened. And I'm sorry this turned out like this."

Kim smiled gratefully. "Hey, no big, Heather. As you said, we knew it could end up like this."

Ron grinned. "And don't blame yourself. I know we don't"

"Thanks, you two," she said in a low voice with a weary sigh. "I'll hang around in here for a bit while you two leave, just to throw off Willie and the other members of the press."

Kim and Ron nodded their thanks, and after Rufus scampered up on Ron's shoulder, they quietly slipped out into the stairwell. It was too narrow to walk side by side like they wanted to, but the ability to leave without being mobbed by reporters again negated that little inconvenience. As they descended, Kim looked back at her love.

"How do you think we did?" she said with a wry smile.

"Not bad," he quipped. "Though I think Rufus's little raspberry at Willie the Weasel might cause a stir."

Kim laughed and stopped to turn around and place kiss on top of Rufus's head. "Good little hairless rodent."

Rufus blushed a bit. "Hrk. No big," he chittered with a buck-tooth smile.

**…**  
**…**

Back at G.V.U., two pairs of eyes had watched the interview with more attention than most. Now one of the smiles had disappeared.

"Well, I guess that settles that," the red-head said with a frown. "Can't break them up if they're already engaged."

However, Nate continued to grin. "Not necessarily, Bricin. Or did you not see Possible's little hesitation?"

"She was flustered, of course she hesitated when she was being assaulted by their questions," Bricin snapped, the whole time wondering why she was defending the girl who stood in her way of claiming a guy she saw as a major hottie.

"Not that," the blonde said with a smirk in his cold blue eyes. "I meant the fact that she kept pulling her ring off and on the whole time."

"So? Maybe it was just a nervous habit she's picked up."

Nate smiled, his schemer's smirk chilling Bricin just a bit. "Oh, I think it's more than that. I think Possible is starting to lose the 'newly engaged' glow, and the doubts she has about marrying Stoppable are starting to make themselves more known."

Now it was Bricin's turn to pull out the cold smile. "So we just have to make sure those doubts keep growing."

"Exactly."

**…**  
**…**

In another part of the campus, another group also watched, and saw the same things Nate had noticed. Unlike Nate, though, the constant ring-sliding Kim had engaged in worried them.

"I don't like it," Monique said with a frown. "Girl was WTN the whole time."

"Yeah," agreed Vinnie. "And Ron lost his cool way too easily, especially if you consider how easy-going he normally his."

"At least Kim calmed him down before his eyes turned blue," commented Emily. "Finkman would just love that little highlight reel."

Monique frowned. "TBH, what I really don't like is how Kim kept playing with her ring. Something's eating at her, but girl absolutely refuses to talk about it."

Nina stared at the television, where a picture of Kim and Ron now sat over the Channel 12 Upperton anchor's right shoulder. "Whatever it is, I'll bet both Highland and Lambert have sensed it too. I think it's time we tell Kim and Ron to be careful around those two."

Mitzy nodded. "Definitely. Those two are about a thousand times better prepared when they know something's coming."

Viktor shook his head. "And give them something else to worry about? Have to say I agree with Vinnie on that point. They have enough on their plate. And its human nature to be better prepared when you _know_ danger's coming."

Vinnie scratched his cheek. "Uhh, Vic? You were the one who made the suggestion to me, remember?"

Viktor's smile faltered for a second, but was back the next instant. "Okay, maybe it was me who brought it up first. But still, I don't think we need to tell them about this yet."

Monique frowned at her boyfriend's reaction, but shook it off and turned to face another occupant in the room. "Allison, what's your take on this situation?"

The brunette frowned. "Personally, I agree with Nina and Mitzy. The more Kim and Ron know the better."

"So then who breaks the news?" Emily countered. "I mean, if me or Nina do it, or Vinnie or Viktor, then Lambert and Highland are going to know that they know, and it'll make those two even more dangerous than they already are."

Monique frowned. "I could tell Kim, I guess, but telling Ron could be harder. And I think the same worry about you guys telling them applies to Allison as well."

Nina sighed. "What about Felix Renton? He and Ron are roommates, right? Couldn't he pass the word?"

Monique shook her head. "Felix is still recovering from the monkey attack that put him in the hospital a few weeks ago. Plus, he's coordinating with Wade Load on keeping watch for more raids like that one. Not to mention he's got to catch up on all the work and classes he missed while he was out."

Emily sat back in her chair. "What if Kim passes the message? I mean, she and Ron trust each other almost implicitly, to the point they almost seem to have some sort of psychic link or something."

Mitzy frowned. "Might work, but Ron is the one who knows more about what Highland's been like, and it would help him be more aware if it was an outside party warning him. Plus, they're still dealing with Dack's advances."

Emily laughed a little at the funny image of Dack's uncomfortable fidgeting that popped into her mind. "I still can't believe he didn't get the message from the Icy Hot in his jock strap."

Allison smirked. "He still doesn't get why Ron and I did it, that's why. Thinks it was just some harmless prank."

Nina sighed. "Bull-headed to the end."

Mitzy turned towards Monique. "Couldn't you tell him, Mon?"

Monique shook her head. "If tomorrow weren't Wednesday, maybe, but there's no guarantee I'll see Ron before he runs into one of them. Especially since Katie cancelled tomorrow's S.P.E.A.R. session. I can't even guarantee Kim won't spend tonight in his Unit. But with her, I know she'll come by our Unit before she goes to her Philosophy class tomorrow morning."

Allison sighed and sat back, her arms crossing over her chest. "Guess we have no choice then. We'll tell Ron at practice tomorrow. Right, guys?" No answer. "Guys?" Silence. "Viktor? Vinnie?"

The rest of the group suddenly realized that the front door was open and that the two football players had both slipped away unnoticed. Monique and Mitzy were both especially stunned that they'd disappeared without saying anything to anyone, particularly to them as the girlfriends.

"Where'd they go?" Monique said as she stared out the door with a definitive frown.

* * *

Kim and Ron spent the rest of the evening at the Stoppable house, although they did join their families in a trip over to the Possible house to check on the reconstruction. One advantage of the backlash from Kim's missions and the results of Jim and Tim's experiments was that contractors knew they'd always have repeat business from the Possibles. As a result, repairs were often completed in very timely and efficient manners, and this reconstruction of the house was going no different. In fact, it was actually starting to look like it had back before the invasion. The only difference was the extra rooms that had been added to the second floor, mainly one of the twins' new rooms and James's new office/workspace. Kim would still have the only room on the third floor, apart from the attic of course, and since the basement was now going to no longer be James's workspace, it would be converted to a game room of sorts. Or maybe, as Anne wryly implied in the explanation, it could be used as a room for the Tweebs to keep their experiments.

"It looks great, you guys," Kim said as they walked through the house, which was mostly completed apart from painting, carpeting, flooring, and the final touches on Kim's room. "But I still wish you'd have taken my offer of making my room into Daddy's office."

Anne merely grinned. "Oh, come now, Kimmie. Where would you and Ron stay when you visit? For that matter, where would our grandkids stay?"

"Mom!" Kim squeaked in shock. "We aren't even married yet."

Jean couldn't resist joining in on the ribbing. "And when is said event supposed to take place? We're not getting any younger yet, and we want to be able to keep up with the grandchildren."

Kim lowered her head in embarrassment and began rubbing her forehead. "I'm serious: we really haven't even talked about a date yet."

James grinned. "Oh, just tell her, Anne."

Kim's head snapped up while the rest of her froze in position. "Tell me what?"

Anne smiled. "The contractors found something just before they bulldozed, Kim. It was buried under what was left of the downstairs closet."

A slow grin began to spread across the red-head's face. "Don't tell me they found _it_…"

"Found what, KP?" Ron said, more than a little confused.

Gene smiled. "Apparently, Ronald, your fiancée has been planning this thing almost longer than she's known you."

Jim and Tim let out simultaneous groans. "They found 'the book'."

"The book?" Ron replied. "What book?"

Kim grinned. "Ron, remember the episode of _Pals_ shortly after Chambers proposed to Mona?"

It took a moment, but when Ron realized what she was talking about, he blanched. "A _Wedding Book_? KP, you have a _wedding _book?"

Kim's grinned. "Of course. Although I think you'll like the first page of it."

**…**  
**…**

As they sat on the bed in Kim's room back at the Stoppable house waiting for her mom to finish preparing dinner, Ron's smile had never been bigger. Oh, sure, Kim's purple-and-white covered wedding book was extremely large, even for a girl her age, but she was right as always: that first page said it all. It had been almost fourteen years earlier to the day when Mrs. Parker, their Pre-K teacher, had given them an art assignment to draw and color their perfect day. Many of the kids drew swimming or camping or something like that—precocious little Kim had drawn herself at the Middleton Park playground with her parents with the phone in the trash can and her mother holding a new baby sister. But little Ron Stoppable had caused quite a few laughs among his classmates when he drew a picture of himself playing with Kim.

That by its self shouldn't have been that much of a problem, other than the customary cootie call, but how he had them dressed had caused quite a stir among their fellow youngsters. Their most recent play-date prior to that day, the young blonde and the pig-tailed red-head had taken it upon themselves to "practice" getting married. And they went all out, so to speak, complete with a white pillowcase veil on her and a black top hat on him. So naturally, that's how he had drawn them playing. But as little kids will do when faced with a painful reaction from their peers, young Ron ran out of the room when his classmates laughed at him for it, ripping the drawing to pieces and throwing it in the trash can in the process.

However, that same drawing from the five-year-old hand of little Ron Stoppable now sat in a place of prominence on the very first page of his best friend/girlfriend/fiancée's wedding book, the pieces carefully taped perfectly together with scotch tape. In fact, the repair job was so flawless that only by looking closely could one tell that the picture had ever been ripped up in the first place. Around it, young Kim had drawn little purple and red hearts. And in a much more steady and mature hand that could only have come about after they started dating a little over a year and a half earlier, she had carefully written in each heart "K+R".

"KP, this is badical," he said, a little choked up. "But why'd you keep it?"

"Cause you were my first friend, Ron," she said with a gentle and loving kiss placed on her love's cheek. "And I knew then that even if I didn't marry you, you were going to be a part of my wedding. Though I have to say I am ferociously glad that things have gone the way they have, because it makes this picture that much more special."

"Boo Yeah," he agreed, kissing her tenderly.

That small kiss quickly developed into one of greater passion, although they were mindful of where they were and kept things relatively calm by their normal make-out standards. They were so engrossed they didn't even hear the knock on the door that announced that dinner was ready, or notice the small crack that formed at the door's edge as someone slowly glanced in. It was a testament to how perfect the moment seemed between the two that James Possible didn't even bat an eye as he watched them with a smile on his face for a few seconds before closing the door once more.

_If I have to lose you to some guy, Kimmie-Cub, I'm glad it's going to be him_, her father thought with a small, sad sigh.

* * *

Bates was fuming once more. "We have missed our opportunity, Amelia!" he growled.

However, the bespectacled bio-geneticist wasn't even fazed as she rearranged the ancient texts they had acquired so far. "And we have another one, Bates. Plus, I think we might need to lay low for a bit, especially after the monkey ninjas did such a number on that wheel-chair boy. Not that I don't think he might have deserved it, mind you, but they did go a little overboard. And it also means that those beastly teen meanies are most likely keeping a closer watch on the naked mole rat we need."

Bates steamed. "But, as you are so fond of pointing out, milady, we have other options! Why have you not ordered your abominations to take the other things we need, such as the other key ingredient."

D.N. Amy dropped the book she was carrying, her voice raising to the level of a banshee shriek. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING MY BABIES THAT!"

The stocky mustachioed man sneered at her. "Why should I, my dear, when that's exactly what they are? They are _abominations_ of the Lord's natural order, and they are also _abominating_ failures in the most simple of retrieval tasks."

She returned his glare with equally acidic timbre. "Like these monkey ninjas have done any better under _your_ leadership, Alfred Bates. If this is any measure of your abilities, it's easy to see why you were kicked out of the Oxford Archaeology department, and why Cuddle Monkey stopped relying on you."

A fire lit behind his brown eyes. "I was dismissed from that hare-brained institution because the other professors could not relate to my genius!" he thundered. "Not like some crackpot like you, who was dismissed because of insane and dangerous experiments! And _Lord Montgomery Fiske_ trusts me implicitly enough that he sent _me_ instructions on how to retrieve him should something go wrong with the Yono! _You_ on the other hand, he avoids you as much as possible."

"Well, at least I tried to do something about his condition without being asked!" she spat back. "And he specifically told me he liked me better this way than with the gorilla arms and feet I had the last time I saw him. He wouldn't do that if he didn't feel something for me."

Bates looked at her contemptibly. "Oh please, madam. The Lord doesn't want anything to do with you. He's told me on many occasions that your first encounter was purely a professional relationship. _You_ are the one who sees things out of proportion and interprets his professional respect for you as fondness for your person. I wouldn't be surprised if the moment we release him from stone he bolts from here just to get away from you."

"Well at least I didn't renounce him in prison, Bates!" D.N. Amy snapped. "Your loyalty to him only goes as far as you see it being profitable to you in achieving your own means. Which, by the way, I still have yet to understand what you hope to gain once he's free. He's already made it clear that he holds you in complete disregard when it comes to his ruling the world."

"And I suppose he has said there will be a place for you and your little freak shows in his new world order, milady? How quickly you forget that the Master will say whatever he has to in order to achieve his goal of becoming the supreme monkey king."

At that moment, the Cataconda returned, bearing bags of food wrapped in its coils.

"About time that monstrosity returned with the nourishment," Bates commented snidely. "Though if he has returned with sushi again I swear I will consider making some Snake Surprise out of him."

D.N. Amy grinned maniacally. "In that case, you'll be pleased, Bates. Because I instructed him to bring back tako sashimi and ebi sashimi."

"More fish from this accursed country! And do not even try to slip by me that octopus and shrimp are not fish, you blathering woman!"

D.N. Amy merely smiled as she tossed a few pieces of the delicacies to the cat-snake. "Well, someone's in a not nice mood, aren't they?" she cooed to the creature as it gulped up the morsels.

As the two continued to verbally spar and orally bicker, a short ways away the monkey ninjas and the Orangupi merely shook their heads while companionably sharing a rather large pile of mangos, bananas, and figs. Though the pile was large, it took several minutes for them to finish eating on it. During this time, Bates and Amy retreated to opposite sides of the lair, but Bates soon came dashing back over, carrying a book he had been reading.

"Milady, I believe we may have finally found the final key needed to free the Master! According to this text, both rituals will also require the blood of the enemy and the one he is closest too! If we do that, Lord Fist will return more powerful than ever!"

D.N. Amy glanced at the text. "Yes, Bates, but as I already told you when I looked at that text previously, it does not release Monty-kins from the Yono's grip, which is the ultimate goal."

Bate pointed at one passage decisively. "Then you missed this part, Amelia. According to this, it may be possible to use the enemy as a replacement…if we can get him to selfishly rescue someone he cares about by putting their fate above that of the world."

Amy's eyes began to gleam menacingly. "And if we have three he cares about, he'll be more likely to slip and put one of them first."

"My thoughts exactly, milady. And the added distraction of the revived Master should also help things immensely."

* * *

Wade sat back exhaustedly. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if maybe he ought to maybe start getting out more before his vision started to go from fatigue. Glancing at the clock, he winced. It was nearly 10:00 PM, and he was supposed to have met Katrina at the movie theater at 8:00. Of course, this was what happened when he got too bogged down in his research. And the worst part was that he was still no closer to figuring out what Bates and D.N. Amy could be planning to do with the Vizier's Dagger.

_Well, at least I already told Ron and Kim about it,_ he thought with a frown. _And hopefully they're still keeping a close eye on Rufus._

At that moment, his computer started going haywire with alarm warnings. He leaned forward, and his mouth dropped. In all the years that Team Possible had been doing missions, they had come up against numerous foes who wanted to turn one of them to the side of evil, and even some who wanted to take them out of commission. But according to the information the tech genius had just uncovered, D.N. Amy and Bates were trying something even more daring. Wade's search had revealed two paths, or rituals, and both things the villains appeared to be attempting called for a sacrifice of blood. In one, it called for the essence of one who possessed Mystical Monkey Power but was not the Monkey Master (_that explains Rufus,_ Wade thought with a shudder), while the other called for someone with exceptional skill in Tai Sheng Pek Kwar but no MMP. And by Wade's knowledge, there was only one possibility: Master Sensei of the Yamanouchi School.

Scanning the rest of the information he'd pulled up, he took surprising note that both rituals required the same constellations be lined up in the same way with regards to the black, or new, moon. Quickly he pulled up a star prediction program on his computer, and noted that the proper alignment had phased out the day earlier. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but certain things had to be double-checked. It was then that he noticed that this particular celestial alignment would occur again the week of March 26th – 30th, 2007. Quickly, he pulled up a schedule Kim had given him of the G.V.U. academic calendar, and allowed himself to let loose with a half-frown, half-smile as he realized it would be during the University's Spring Break. His friends weren't going to be happy about that, but unfortunately, the only thing he could do was currently not possible, since they had no idea where to look for the two villains.

As he pressed the call button to contact Ron and Kim with his findings, his vision exhaustion led to his normally acute eyes missing the last detail on the sacrifice the second ritual required. If he had seen it, his eyes would have popped wide in shock at the conspirators boldness and daring, as it could only mean that they were after a single person. Put simply, it translated to:

_Must have defeated the Dark Destroyer in some form prior to this ceremony._

_

* * *

_

a/n

As always, reviews and comments are more than welcome. They are greatly appreciated. :)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 is up and running!

To be completely honest, this chapter was ready a few days ago, but I decided to wait until the new month so that I could more easily track the hits it receives. Not to mention this gave me an extra day or two to review for errors and go over story points. And now on to the story:

Yori and Hirotaka continue their assignment, but one of them has few distractions on the brain.

Kim and Ron react to Wade's discovery.

Monique relays the important message to Kim, and during the discussion some surprising things are brought to light.

Ron has some time to his thoughts, but he can't focus due to a certain someone. Then a mentor provides the answers he didn't know he needed.

Kim has another run in with Dack, and Ron's reaction sets everyone on edge.

Dack has a run-in with an accomplice who reveals darker intentions.

Then Katie is faced with a tough choice concerning Team Possible, and her superior is finally revealed.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

***Special thanks to **Prodigy25**, who noticed that prior to this I kept having Kim be the one to defend Team Possible's relationship.

* * *

Scanning the rest of the information he'd pulled up, he took surprising note that both rituals required the same constellations be lined up in the same way with regards to the black, or new, moon. Quickly he pulled up a star prediction program on his computer, and noted that the proper alignment had phased out the day earlier. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but certain things had to be double-checked. It was then that he noticed that this particular celestial alignment would occur again the week of March 26th – 30th, 2007. Quickly, he pulled up a schedule Kim had given him of the G.V.U. academic calendar, and allowed himself to let loose with a half-frown, half-smile as he realized it would be during the University's Spring Break. His friends weren't going to be happy about that, but unfortunately, the only thing he could do was currently not possible, since they had no idea where to look for the two villains.

As he pressed the call button to contact Ron and Kim with his findings, his vision exhaustion led to his normally acute eyes missing the last detail on the sacrifice the second ritual required. If he had seen it, his eyes would have popped wide in shock at the conspirators boldness and daring, as it could only mean that they were after a single person. Put simply, it translated to:

_Must have defeated the Dark Destroyer in some form prior to this ceremony._

* * *

Yori scowled as she glanced down from the roof into the dark Osaka alleyway. Ever since they'd seen Fukushima at The Jade Mamba, she and Hirotaka had been tailing him to the best of their abilities. They'd followed him to every building they could, although they could not follow him into the structures without giving themselves away. They'd passed the time with one of them catching much needed sleep while the other watched for movement, and it was currently her turn to be the lookout while her companion slumbered. She pulled an energy bar out of her pouch, broke off half, and stuffed the remaining portion back in the pack. Then she nibbled on her snack as she eyed the foreboding shadows surrounding the door their quarry had entered nearly twenty-four hours earlier.

Behind her, Hirotaka lay stretched out, the gentle sounds of his resting breathing breaking through the eerie silence that seemed to hang like a chilling fog over this district of the city. Glancing over at him, Yori caught herself smiling as she watched his chest slowly rise and fall. She had never considered her fellow ninja more than a good friend, but so many nights and days spent in his company had opened her eyes to little things about him she had never noticed before. Things like the raised eyebrow that always seemed to accompany his confident smiles, or the constant self-assuredness of his normal face. Even the wild way he normally wore his hair, in a style that had always comically reminded the young kunoichi of a broom, was now beginning to look nice in her eyes. Sighing a bit and momentarily wondering if he would ever even think to possibly look at her as more than a female warrior, she turned her glance back towards the alley and the metal door they had watched Fukushima enter nearly two hours earlier.

However, her concentration on her task kept getting interrupted by an odd chill in her heart, a pain of longing she could not explain. For some reason, Yori kept feeling like she should be remembering something important, something she either should have never forgotten or should have never failed to notice. Unfortunately, whatever that something was kept eluding her no matter how hard she tried to pin it down…

* * *

To say that Kim and Ron took the latest news about the plot being concocted by Bates and D.N. Amy well would be insulting to the word. Just like Wade, they were thankful that one opportunity for the plan to succeed had been missed, but also concerned that the villains still had another chance to come out on top. And also like the tech genius, they were less than happy that the two schemers were willing to go that far. In fact, as they lay in bed Tuesday night in Ron's room back at G.V.U., neither of them could get relaxed enough to fall asleep.

"Ron," Kim said after a bit, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence that had developed in the darkened room, "I think Sensei knows more about this sitch than he's telling us, especially since it seems he's also a target in all this. And I know he probably has his reasons for not saying anything, but at the same time we need to know what's going on so we can prepare for whatever those two have cooking."

Ron sighed. "KP, you know I agree with you, but every time I try to talk to him lately about what we should do, he brushes it off by using one of his mystically worded riddle sayings."

Kim cuddled up closer to him, the satiny silk of her chemise sliding smoothly along his bare chest. "Which ones has he been using?"

Ron slightly shrugged. "Well, his latest favorite is, 'The untested maple does not fear the fire that has never burned him.' And thing is, I know he's trying to tell me something by using that one, but I can't figure out the meaning behind the saying."

Kim smiled. "Kind of like the one he used when we decided to go back and rescue Monkey Fist from D.N. Amy, right?"

Ron grinned a bit. "You know, now that I think about it, this whole thing _is_ kind of ironic."

Kim nodded her agreement. "You mean that if Bates and D.N. Amy manage to succeed in bringing him back, we may have another 'rescue Monkey Fist' sitch on our hands, right?"

"Yeah. Definitely not gonna be a badical first college spring break."

Kim sighed, a little frustration permeating her voice as she spoke. "True, but then what else would you expect from our lives? Like you said, we're not exactly normal college kids."

Ron smiled. "Hey, as long as we're together for it, it's normal for us."

Kim couldn't resist rewarding that comment, and pulled him into a nice, long make-out session that put them both to sleep shortly afterwards with pleasant dreams dancing in their heads.

However, the next morning the red-head's eyes went wide when she stopped by her Unit alone to pick up her books and Monique delivered her warning. In fact, Kim was glad she'd stopped by nearly an hour early when Ron had taken off to get some practice on the dish he had due by Friday in Chef Angelo's class. What Monique had just said had sent a fire of contempt for the persons of Nate Highland and Bricin Lambert coursing through the young woman's blood.

"Monique, you do realize it could have been Nate Highland who tried to take advantage of me at Vinnie and Mitzy's party, right? I mean, he was at Vinnie's apartment that night."

The young African-American woman shook her head. "No, Kim, we know it wasn't him. Mitzy confirmed that he never left the main room from the time you headed to the bathroom to the time Nina came out and got us. Although she can't confirm that he wasn't the one who slipped the GHB into your glass, or that he wouldn't have tried something later that evening if we hadn't found you. But we do think that he and Bricin Lambert might have only been putting Rachael down that night in order to throw suspicion off of themselves."

Kim let her book satchel slide slowly off her shoulder onto the floor, and she sat down purposefully in the living chair with her elbows on her knees and her hands folded in front of her face as she contemplated how to deal with this sitch. She was about to say something when she heard the door to Monique's room open and saw Viktor emerging, a smile on his face. One look at his grin, and the sheepish smile on Monique's, and it was pretty clear what had occurred in Kim's absence last night. Viktor paused upon seeing her before leaning down to give Monique a hot kiss and then excusing himself from the room. Kim watched him go with a smile on her face. A few minutes after the door shut, her grin got even wider as she turned back to her BFF, who just happened to be squirming a bit on the couch.

"So that's why you sounded so happy when I called last night and told you I was staying in Ron's room," Kim said mischievously.

Monique blushed even more and appeared suddenly very interested in the pictures on the wall. "IDK what you're talking about, girl."

Kim shook her head in amusement and disbelief. "Right, and I've never rescued an ambassador from a kidnapping attempt. But, Monique, you guys are being careful, right?"

Her BFF kept her head turned to the side but also pinned her with a serious look. "Of course. I'm not stupid you know. I'm on a pill, and he has to wear the necessary stuff before we do anything."

"So how long?" the red-head said with a grin.

Monique sighed with a smile on her face. "Actually, last night was only the third time we've gone all the way. First time was actually the night you and Ron found us at the Blue Wolf. We'd been planning on waiting, but something about what you said to me that night just made me decide to go for it."

Kim smiled a little hesitantly. "Well…that's not entirely what I meant by moving forward, but…I guess if it makes you happy I'll be happy for you. Though I know for sure Ron and I aren't ready to go there yet."

Monique fixed her with a pointed look. "Speaking of Ron, anything between you two you want to talk about?"

Kim shrugged. "Not really. I mean, we're doing fine if that's what you're asking."

"Uh huh. So that's why you kept acting like that engagement ring on your left hand was electrified last night during your press conference."

The red-head frowned. "It's just a nervous habit, Mon. Honestly."

"Girl, don't even try to pull that on me. I've known you too long. Even Vinnie and Viktor noticed it while we were watching the two of you on TV last night. Now spill."

Kim shook her head. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Kim, if I've noticed it, and Vinnie and Vic have noticed it, I can guarantee Ron has," Monique replied as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And I'll also bet that Bricin and Nate have noticed it too, and that means they're going to be applying pressure to you. I want to help you, but I can't unless you GMD."

The red-head frowned. "There aren't any details to give, Monique. I mean, sure, I've had some random thoughts…"

"Ah ha!" Monique said with a slightly victorious grin. "All right, girl, spill. What's been going on behind those green eyes?"

Kim sighed. "Look, I love Ron, and I don't want to hurt him. In any sort of way. But lately my dreams haven't been that…nice about the possible future we'll have together."

"Like what?" Monique said, leaning forward in concern.

"Like…okay, the other night, I had a dream about what would happen if for some reason I didn't come back from a mission, and Ron got stuck having to raise our kids by himself. And all I saw was him having to shut down his restaurant because he couldn't handle everything, and it made him completely miserable."

"And you think that Ron hasn't thought about those exact same fears? Or about what you and your life would be like if he happened to be the one who didn't come back? Girl, even I can see that on his face."

Kim frowned. "See, it's also stuff like that. That people on the outside of our relationship can see what we're going through when I can't. I mean, everyone thinks we have some sort of…psychic connection to each other, and a lot of times we haven't even got a clue what the other is thinking. I mean, sure, we mesh well with each other, but it bugs me that I can't always at least guess what's going on in the head of the guy I'm in love with."

Monique smiled. "And you don't like not being in control of the situation."

Kim blinked. "That's so not what I said. I said…"

"…that it bugs you that you can't always guess what he's thinking so you can know how to react," Monique finished for her. "Kim, you two may have dozens of miles in the world-saving department together, but face it, you guys still don't know how to have a real relationship. And the fact that Ron has basically already given himself to you completely is TFYO."

"It is not freaking me out, Mon. It's just…unfamiliar, alright?"

"Because you aren't in complete control of the situation. But Kim, real love like you two obviously have isn't supposed to be something you control. It's supposed to be something you let happen, that you enjoy because it is so random."

"But…"

Monique continued, ignoring the interruption. "Plus, I have a feeling that if you don't settle yourself down and just let the romance happen as it will it's going to start affecting you and Ron. And while I seriously doubt this could ever happen, something like that might be the perfect thing to allow Highland, Lambert, or someone else to come between you two. I mean, BHWM…if you trusted Ron as completely as you say you do, and didn't have any doubts whatsoever, would Bonnie's kiss last year or Alley-Cat's this year have affected you so much?"

Kim didn't know how to respond to that. Did she love Ron? The answer was without a doubt a resounding "Yes". But did she have doubts about how happy they could be…that she unfortunately didn't know. Even more of a problem in the red-head's mind was that her BFF was right: she hadn't even realized that the reason she was scared was because she had no control over the love sitch apart from the pieces she was responsible for. And while she knew in her heart that Ron loved her as much as or possibly even more than she loved him, which would have to be a lot more than completely if it were true, something in the back of her mind wouldn't let the issue be put to rest no matter how much she tried to force it to.

"So then what should I do?" she finally said after a few minutes of silence.

Monique smiled. "Enjoy the ride, girl. Like I told you before, just let things fall where they will. And hey, if he starts acting strange, just remember how you thought he was acting before he told you how he felt. Or better yet, think of how he was acting before he put that ring on your finger."

Kim cast her eyes down at the diamond surrounded by four emeralds, and couldn't help but smile. But then she frowned again as their other current problem surged back to the front.

"So then what are we gonna do about Bricin and Nate? Because I'm willing to bet the simple announcement and revealing of mine and Ron's engagement isn't going to be enough to deter them. Or Dack for that matter."

Her BFF shrugged. "HTSI, girl, but I think you're just gonna have to wait and let them make their moves, then deal with the situations as they come. And I would have a serious talk with Ron about what you've been thinking about. Just don't…"

Kim smiled. "I know, don't start it with, 'Ron, we need to talk.'"

Monique grinned. "I was going to say don't try to control the conversation, but that's a good piece of advice too. Also might help if you're somewhere he can lose his pants without getting some looks."

Neither girl couldn't resist the giggle fit that overtook them soon after. And in her Honors Philosophy class that morning, when Professor Quitos posed the question of "What is Love?" for the day's discussion topic, Kim could only picture one goofy-grinning face.

**…**  
**…**

For reasons he couldn't understand, Ron just couldn't concentrate that day. He knew something was off from the moment he woke up that morning, but somehow he had managed to keep the feeling hidden from Kim. Course, part of that may have been the fact that she was a _big_ part of why he couldn't concentrate. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the problems surrounding the two of them out of his head. Not necessarily problems with their relationship, but more along the lines of the outside forces continuing to swirl around them. And this whole business with Monkey Fist and the two kooks trying to revive him didn't help matters. The same could also be said of the ongoing mess with Dack Daniels that continued to be a thorn in their sides.

_Dack_, the young man thought viciously as he stared at the pot that still refused to slow boil.

For some reason, the senior Guardian slot back still hadn't gotten the message that Ron and Kim would not be split up willingly, nor did he seem to have gotten the message that it would take a complete force of nature or Act of God to do it against their will. Of course that may have had to do with the fact that Ron knew the overconfident muscle-head thought of himself as a force of nature anyway. Currently ranking in third for the Heisman probably didn't help matters, but Dack seemed to carry the air of one who thought he could take whatever he wanted. And unfortunately for Ron and his fiancée, what the big lug currently wanted was the honor of having the particularly beautiful Kim Possible on his arm. So far he'd made several advances, the latest of which had occurred Monday evening while Kim and Ron were attempting to enjoy dinner in the Guardhouse cafeteria. It had taken all of Ron's restraint to not lay his fist hard across the arrogant jerk's face. Now as he thought about it, he wondered why he hadn't just gone ahead and done it.

If the truth be told though, Ron had to admit he knew exactly why he hadn't popped the guy across the jaw. And unfortunately, not all of it had to do with the fact that it would have seriously tweaked a certain red-headed fiancée. While Kim's reaction to the move was certainly a good chunk of it, there was the fact that he was worried about the part of him that had been urging him to take the violent route he'd contemplated. For most, this dark side was simply a part of who they were, but for Ron Stoppable it had a name: Zorpox. And unfortunately, Ron could feel the maniacal side of his personality much more strongly now than he had before that summer. He had first noticed the change during the fight with Dementor over the G.V.U. campus that fall, but that one had been passed off as rage at seeing the Austrian mad genius cause Kim so much pain with his electrified shields. However, the more recent resurgence of the young man's dark side was much more difficult to ignore, especially if Ron considered how it had come about.

The previous Saturday had been his official return to duty as the halfback of the G.V.U. Guardian's football team, and it should have been a complete high. However, during the third quarter, Dack had pulled out a show-offish move when he stole the ball out of Vinnie's hands as the quarterback was turning around to pitch it to Ron. Almost immediately, even as he watched Dack bulldoze into the endzone for a touchdown with a fury in his mind, Ron could distinctly make out a maniacal cackling in his head. Even more frightening was that he'd felt his Mystical Monkey Power building without he himself being the one to summon it. It had been as if Zorpox was feeding off the young man's anger at his teammate's selfish act, and that emotional energy was giving Ron's alter ego more strength and allowing him to tap into things like the mystical energies the blonde held within his lithe frame.

In order to give himself a minute to calm down, he'd approached the head trainer and had the man examine his shoulder a bit. Thankfully, that took long enough that Ron wasn't available for the next offensive series, as Dack once more pulled out another arrogant move and stole a play's glory for himself. Ron knew why the jerk was doing it, but a silly piece of hardware (even if it was the vaunted Heisman Trophy) wasn't worth the lengths Dack seemed to be willing to go to get it. And worse than that, Coach Devereaux didn't appear to be saying anything about it. Vinnie and Jean-Luc explained in the locker room after the game that Devereaux never accosted players on the field unless they were doing something terribly wrong, and that Dack would be getting a private talk later. However it still irked Ron to no end that basically nothing was being done, particularly when Dack's last act of glory-hogging that day most likely had cost them a win. He had attempted to grab a pass not thrown to him and instead tipped it into a defenseman's hands, who took it all the way back for a defensive touchdown that ended up being the score that decided the game. Needless to say, the trip back to Upperton had been anything but bright.

And then of course Monday evening hadn't helped…

**…**  
**…**

"Ron, turn down the drama," Kim had said with a smile as they ate Monday night. "Everyone on campus knows Dack was probably the main reason we lost against the Irish."

"Sorry, KP. I've just had a lot of people asking me about it today. And you know they're right. If I had managed to break that last tackle, we would have won by three instead of losing by four. I mean, I've broken tackles from guys twice my size who had me wrapped up, and I couldn't get away from one of the few college-level football players smaller than me when he only had a one-handed grip on my jersey."

Kim had stabbed her salad a little more forcefully than necessary. "Ron, you and I both know one play doesn't make a game. So does everyone else. Now quit cutting yourself down."

"But, KP, what if they've got a point? That I could have done more to make it a non-issue? I mean, I know I wasn't yet back to a hundred percent, but I still should have been better than I was."

"Ron, 145 yards on twelve carries and a rushing touchdown is nothing to be ashamed of."

At that moment the main subject of their contempt had come waltzing by like he owned the campus. "Unless you compare it to 200 on 15 carries for two touchdowns, plus another 50 in receiving yards with a receiving touchdown," Dack said with a smirk. "So, Kim, you want to go somewhere tonight with a _real_ football star?"

Kim sighed. "For the hundredth time, Dack, no. Ron is my boyfriend, not you, and I want to spend my evening with him. And for the record, I'm not with Ron just because he's on the football team."

The senior had placed his beefy hand on hers on the table. "C'mon, what are you afraid of KP?"

Emerald eyes blazed. "Ron is the only one allowed to call me that, Dack. Not even my parents or my brothers get away with it."

"She's right, Daniels," Ron had said with a smile. "Now leave us alone, please."

Kim had appeared surprised at Ron's feigned nonchalance about the situation, but one look at him and she seemed to understand the blonde was forcing himself to contain the reaction he wanted to let out. She'd smiled at him before turning back to Dack and lifting the dark-haired young man's large hand off of hers.

"And please stop touching me like you have a chance, Dack. Because you most definitely do not."

After they watched Dack walk away, Ron had turned towards her. "Just how many times has he tried now?"

Kim had smiled and moved her stuff around to his side of the booth. "Does it matter? He's always going to get the same answer no matter how many times he asks or how many different methods he tries."

With that she had placed a loving kiss on his lips, a kiss whose feeling carried over into the tender make-out and massage session they had thoroughly enjoyed later that night before parting for the evening so they would be well-rested for the press conference the next afternoon.

**…**  
**…**

Now, as Ron attempted to perfect the recipe he had due that Friday's cooking class, he couldn't even begin to concentrate on anything but that arrogant idiot's face. As a result, his normally superb cooking skills were turning out nothing but inedible hunks of matter that wouldn't even begin to pass for consumable food. Finally throwing up his hands in frustration, he turned off the stove he had been working at and dumped out his catastrophe of a mess into the chute the class used for ruined dishes. As he grumbled, he heard an amused chuckle from behind him. Turning, he saw the short, squat form of Chef Carmine Angelo standing there. The diminutive and balding cook shook his head and smiled, and his Italian accent came through as strongly as ever.

"Young Chef Stoppable, you have too many cooks in your head right now."

"Tell me about it, Professor," the young man said with a sigh. "I just can't seem to focus on this chicken and cauliflower dish."

The little chef chortled, his hazel eyes twinkling. "A fine example of what I refer to, Ron. The assignment is for you to design a special twist on Braised Beef with Broccoli, not for one on Braised Chicken with Cauliflower."

"Aww man," Ron complained as he sat back on a stool, removing his apron in frustration. "I knew the vegetable part of this thing wasn't steaming like it was supposed to."

"Do not worry, my apprentice. You are able to do things within the walls of this kitchen that I could only dream of at your age. I am confident you will find the secret to making your dish stand out before Friday's class. Out of curiosity, have you ever by chance managed to catch that Mouse Ear Channel original movie, _Freddie's Thousand-Dollar Cook-Out_?"

Ron smiled. "That's the one about the basketball player who would rather be in the kitchen, right? Yeah, I've seen it a few times. Actually one of my favorite of their original movies."

Chef Angelo nodded. "Right now, you are much like Freddie after his secret passion for culinary creation is revealed, in that you have too much going on up here."

He pressed a finger lightly to Ron's forehead, no easy feat since Ron was at least a foot taller than the aged chef and could easily look over the top of Chef Angelo's toque when he wore it, as he did now.

Ron frowned as he crossed his eyes to look at the finger. "But that's where I keep my cooking ideas, Chef Angelo."

"Ah, then we have found the problem. Cooking comes from the head, but we are not training to be cooks here within this hallowed space. We are training to be chefs, to be masterful creators of culinary wonders. And the inspiration for that can only come from the place where the rhythm of your life resounds to your unique beat. The muse for all the great chefs lies not in the brain, but in the heart. If there are problems there, there will be problems with the food."

Ron scratched his head. "But you keep saying that our mind is the most useful kitchen utensil we can have."

"To remember the recipes and how to prepare them, yes," Chef Angelo replied with a smile. "But to create culinary art, you must reach deeper, into your soul, and the only window to that lies within your heart, Ronald. That is where the Culinary Muse shares her wisdom with those who wish to create flavorful masterpieces. I would suggest that you wait until tonight to practice this dish. Prepare it for your Kimberly, and rediscover the love you have for cooking as you prepare the meal for the one who fills your heart with joy. And remember: every dish a chef prepares, he or she fixes as if it were going to be eaten and enjoyed only by the one who means the most to them."

Ron smiled, and nodded his thanks as the rest of the class began filing in. Later, when he met up with Kim to head to their Honors Biology class, he greeted her with a kiss and a suggestion that they redesign their date that night to include a meal in, a suggestion she happily agreed to. He even suggested he buy the ingredients and do all the work, including the dishes afterwards. Just from the smile on her face, he could tell that last part went over particularly well.

In fact, the notion of Ron fixing a meal for her pushed all of Kim's ill-tempered thoughts about Nate and Bricin straight out of her mind. Or at least, the notions were buried until she arrived at cheer practice that afternoon, and was teamed with the female member of the conspirator duo and Dylan Craig, another of her male teammates. However, Kim did everything she could to keep her feelings towards her fellow red-headed, green-eyed cheerleader from interfering in the day's practice. Kim didn't even question when an error Bricin made caused her to bang her knee painfully on the gym floor, particularly because she wasn't entirely sure what she'd do if she were to get into it with the other girl. Oh, she knew she'd win a fight between them hands down, but how much farther it would go she didn't really want to consider. So she merely smiled and allowed the trainer to examine her injury while Bricin wore an obviously faked frown.

However, the same could not be said for her encounter with the trouble-making Dack Daniels later that afternoon as she waited by the Sloth for Ron to exit the field house. The minute she saw the senior football player approaching, she frowned and buried her nose so far into the textbook she was studying that the words became blurry. Unfortunately, the arrogant bull-headed guy didn't seem to get the hint, as he continued walking straight towards where she leaned against the Sloth's hood.

"Hey, Kim," he said with a casual smile.

Kim sighed as she lowered the book. "Hi, Dack," she said with a smile she wasn't feeling. "Can I help you with something?"

"Maybe," he said with a grin and a wink. "I have a free evening again tonight, and thought you should join me for a nice romantic dinner."

Kim frowned. "Look, Dack, I told the truth in the press conference last night when I said I'm engaged to Ron and have been since the first week of June. Doesn't that tell you something about your chances with me?"

The senior smirked. "Just that I have to try a little harder, KP."

The frown deepened about twenty times. "Dack, how many times do I have to tell you? Only Ron, and I do mean _only_ Ron, has the right to call me that."

Dack's eyebrow cocked. "No, your words have always been that only your boyfriend can call you that. So that's where I'm starting."

Kim's face hit full-on not amused as she closed the book with a loud _THWAP!_ and set it aside. "And what gives you the impression that you have the right to do that exactly?"

The young man pulled out a smile that sent cold chills down the red-head's spine. "Because I will have you on my arm before it's all over, Kim. And nothing you can say or do will stop me."

Okay, forget 'not amused'—now Kim was out and out tweaked! "Oh, I will have plenty to say about it, Dack! And I can tell you right now that Ron isn't the only one you'd have to get through to get me to even consider being with you. There are even a couple of girls I'd consider before I ever thought about giving you the time of day in that regard, and I am completely one-hundred percent straight! So get it through that thick skull that you have zero chance of ever even remotely dating me!"

Dack's hand shot out before Kim could react, and wrapped itself firmly about her wrist. Immediately, a dozen kung fu moves for how to break the hold began racing through Kim's mind, each one with a more painful outcome for her offender than the last. However, before she could decide on which one to use and pull it out, a voice rang out across the parking lot.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!"

The voice she recognized, but the fury behind the words was foreign to her. Well, not completely foreign—Kim had heard it once before while she was being held upside-down by her leg as a pair of nine-foot-tall aliens talked of killing her and mounting her like a trophy next to some thorgoggle thing. She immediately turned towards the source of the yell, noticing that her "captor" did the same thing. What she saw caused her mouth to open slightly in surprise.

Ron stood there, his hair waving wildly as if caught in a hurricane and his eyes a brilliant shade of blue. She'd seen him like this a few times before, and knew that he was mere seconds away from being bathed in blue flames. She was also struck by the thought that if her love had possessed eye beams in his Monkey Master form like Jackie Oakes wielded as Jackie the Jackal, Dack would have been fried there on the spot. Kim quickly broke the hold Dack had on her wrist, and rushed towards Ron, silently praying she could stop this sitch before it escalated. However, when she approached Ron and called his name, he didn't respond.

"Ron! I'm fine! Calm down!"

Ron merely continued to stare forward as if he was looking right through her. She grabbed his wrist, or rather attempted to, and was shocked to find that the energy he was exuding was actually acting as a buffer shield against her touch! No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her skin to make contact with his no matter where she tried to touch him. In fact, she could almost feel a heat threatening to burn her if she persisted!

"Ron, look at me! I'm fine!"

Ron gazed down at her, and for the first time in her life, Kim Possible felt just the tiniest bit afraid of Ron Stoppable! Those eyes, so full of hatred, didn't belong to the man she loved—they couldn't! As she did her best to put on her strongest face, an idea hit her.

"Ronnie, its KP. Look at me. Look in my eyes." Between each sentence, she took a deep breath. "Ronnie, do not do this. Please, I'm begging you. You and I both know he's not worth whatever it is you're thinking about doing."

"KP?" Ron said in a voice she didn't recognize.

It was a tone that sounded like Ron's, but appearing to echo from two mouths at once. One of the voices had the calm and relaxed effect of the man she loved, but the other sounded dark and hollow, almost sinister in nature. She shuddered to think where that particular voice was coming from, but right now wasn't the time to consider that particular possibility. Right now, she needed to get him calmed down before he could go full power and do something she knew he'd regret. Kim reached up slowly with both hands to cup his face, and this time, her efforts to touch his cheeks weren't prevented by the aura he was exuding. Feeling her fear of him slipping away, she gently brought Ron's mouth to hers, and was relieved to feel his lips make contact with her own. When she pulled back a few seconds later the eyes, though still a brilliant shade of cobalt blue, had lost that cold look of fury and were warm once more.

"Kim?" he said with a bit of confusion. "How'd you get over here so quickly?"

"I'll tell you later, Ron. First you have to get yourself calmed down."

That feat probably would have been accomplished much easier if a familiar beefy hand hadn't suddenly grasped Kim's wrist once more. Instead of focusing on that, however, Kim kept her focus trained on Ron's eyes, pleading with her own emerald orbs for him to regain control. The young man's eyes began flashing back to brown, but stopped once more on blue as it appeared the blonde finally realized just who it was that was holding Kim's wrist like he owned it by right. Ron's hands shot out in a flash, grasping Kim's arm gently and Dack's in a grip that was anything but. In a flash, he'd broken the hold Dack had on his fiancée's wrist.

The next instant was a complete blur to Kim. All she knew was that less than a minute later, her wrist was free from the grips of both young men, and Dack was lying dazed on the ground, his cheek bearing a bright red fist mark on it and blood oozing from his lip. She looked at Ron, and was relieved to find his eyes showing their normal chocolate brown color. And when he spoke, his voice (though hard) was the same rich, boyish tone she loved to listen to—even if the words he used at that moment worried her a little.

"Dack, I'll say this once," Ron growled. "Touch my fiancée again without her permission, and I will…_break_…_your_…_arms!_"

The black-haired football player stood up slowly, though whether it from being stunned or from fury no one could tell. Then he fixed Ron with an intense look, a fiery hatred blazing behind his hazel-green eyes. He wiped at the trickle of blood with his fist like a fighter who couldn't believe he'd just been socked by someone he didn't expect to have the courage to fight back. The look Dack gave her fiancé made Kim unconsciously wrap both her arms around Ron's right. She wasn't scared, but she also didn't want Ron to escalate the sitch any farther that it was by slugging the dark-haired young man again.

"This isn't over, Stoppable. Not by a long shot. Possible will be mine, even if I have to go through you to get her."

"No, she won't, Dack," came a voice from behind them.

While Ron kept his stare burning right back at Daniels, Kim turned to find Vinnie, Viktor, Jean-Luc Brissart, and Quincy Clay all standing there like sentinels. Viktor's jaw was ticking, while Jean-Luc's fists were clenched so tightly that his black skin was turning white. Quincy was actually leaning forward while his green eyes blazed, as if challenging Dack to try something else with the four of them standing there. Vinnie's expression was harder to read, but it was obvious he also supported Kim and Ron's position on the matter. Kim mouthed a thank-you, a move that only Jean-Luc barely nodded an acknowledgement to. Then she turned back towards Dack.

"Dack, I've told you before, I'm with Ron. I _want to be_ with Ron. Now please, leave us alone."

He turned to go with a smile that sent another chill down her spine. "You're already mine, Possible. You just haven't accepted it yet."

As he left, Kim felt the fury emanating from Ron, and was sure that the only thing keeping her love from chasing after the other young man and adding more to the punch he'd laid across the senior's jaw was the fact that she wouldn't unwrap her arms from around his, even as the four other football players checked to see if they were both okay. In fact, she didn't let go of his hand until he was safely in the passenger's seat of the Sloth and buckled up. Once she was in the driver's seat, she grasped his left hand gently but firmly, keeping the contact between them as much as she possibly could. And once they were in the Patriot Towers parking lot, she resumed holding onto his right arm with her both of hers until they were safely up in his Unit. The plans to have Ron fix them a nice dinner were out the window, but Kim grabbed a few frozen microwaveable chicken breasts from the freezer and made them each a pair of chicken, cheese, and bacon sandwiches. Felix chose that moment to come rolling though the doorway, the sight the young man saw sending his face jokingly white.

"Ron-man, you do realize Kim is in the kitchen, right?"

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Hey, just because I have trouble with most kitchen appliances doesn't mean I have trouble with microwaves, Felix. I can manage them just fine."

"She's right," laughed Ron, the first smile since the confrontation making its self known on his face. "She makes a mean bowl of oatmeal if you're ever interested. Or a good cup or bowl of ramen noodles."

Felix grinned and held up his hands in mock defense. "Thanks, but I'll stick to non-nuked food if you don't mind."

Kim tried to maintain a straight and tweaked face, but couldn't help the giggle that threatened to break through her cheeks if she didn't let it out. Of course it probably didn't help that neither of the two guys were able to hold their laughs for more than five seconds. Within minutes, they were all three laughing with youthful abandon. For Kim and Ron, it was a therapy that was sorely needed after the long day.

* * *

Dack rounded the corner of his apartment complex a few hours later and saw a face he wasn't at all thrilled to see. At the moment, he hated the young man before him, and felt like pounding the guy into the ground just for spite. The fact that he had just returned from a bar, where he'd gone to wash away his humiliation and plot revenge on Stoppable for the sucker punch, didn't help matters either.

"What gives, man? You told me the engagement and the press conference they held last night were both parts of a ruse! And that Stoppable wouldn't have the courage to fight back if I made a move on Possible. Just what kind of game are you playing at?"

The blonde smirked. "Well, I didn't expect you to make so many plays on her right in front of him. I told you when I agreed to help you back in August: subtlety is what is needed here if you want Possible to leave Stoppable. And it is even more of a necessity if you expect her to come to you when she does leave him. Particularly after you screwed up the plan with that little freshman trainer."

Dack's eyes narrowed. "So then what was with the standing against me back there? I thought you wanted them to split up."

Another smirk. "I do, Dack, as it is crucial to our plans. However, I unfortunately cannot yet afford to implicate myself as their enemy. Not when my leader's schemes are going so well on my end and so poorly for my fellows."

The senior slot back frowned. "Your leader? You taking orders from someone? Who are they, and why do you guys need me?"

The brown eyes blazed. "My organization does not answer to fools like you, Dack. Just be grateful I chose you to help me with this operation, as there are plenty of young men on this campus who would jump at the chance to possibly make Possible their new girlfriend. Young men who would not have the faint notions of limits that you seem to be harboring lately. Particularly when it comes to methods I have insisted on. Like how you refused to be a part of the plan on Halloween night."

"That was you?" the dark-haired young man said in shock, his eyes going wide. "From what I've heard, that could have killed her."

"No, Dack, not killed Miss Possible. Merely…incapacitated her for a short period while our plans moved forward. Thankfully however, she never even knew of the moves we made this past week."

The hairs of on the back of Dack's neck began tingling. Just who had he gotten himself involved with?

"Look, man, I want Possible, and I'll do anything to make her mine, but I'm not too sure about using your help now."

His companion laughed coldly. "Ah, but you see you no longer have a choice in the matter. WEE is very influential and can make things happen that will make life for you very unpleasant should you choose to back out and withdraw your support at this juncture in the process. You WILL continue to help me, and WILL NOT reveal my involvement in this brilliant plan to Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable until I deem it necessary."

Dack smirked. "You know, for someone who claims to brilliance, you sure butcher your grammar a lot. It's 'we are', not 'we is'."

The laugh grew even more icy. "Further proof that you do not yet realize who you make deals with, Dack. Perhaps if you knew, you would not make jokes or threats at my expense. Particularly if you knew what I myself am capable of."

Now the black-haired senior stood up straight and glared at the person before him. "Like you could do anything to me. I've proven during weight lifting I'm at least twice as strong as you, and I also stand at least a half-foot above you in the height department."

"Then try something, if you wish. But be forewarned that I am more than I appear to be. And would take you easily even if you were not in the drunken state you're in."

That was all the provocation Dack needed after his recent humiliation at Stoppable's hands. He immediately began swinging wildly, every blow aimed directly at either his opponent's head or his stomach. However, his adversary neatly and cleanly dodged every blow with a smile on his face and a lazy look in his brown eyes, barely breathing hard. After about fifteen wild swing-and-misses, Dack began to worry, but not near as much as he did when the blonde caught his twentieth punch in his palm and easily used it to force the much-larger senior to his knees. A vicious kick then caught Dack in the abdomen, and he gasped as his air left him in a rush. He crouched there on his hands and knees, thoroughly defeated, his arm across his midsection while he coughed heavily.

"Now, Mr. Daniels, do we have any other problems with the current plan? Or shall I take more of your ideas under consideration?"

"No," Dack wheezed as he fought to regain his breath. "Man, I thought…thought Nate was…was calculating…But you…you take it to a whole…whole different level."

An evil smirk crossed the blonde's face, and a chilling look came to his brown eyes. "That is because I serve the great Gemini, Mr. Daniels. There is much more at stake when the one calling the shots could easily kill you for your failure merely by pointing a finger or pressing a button. That, I might add, is something I will do to you if you even dare to think about crossing me again." With one hand he effortlessly lifted Dack by the back of his letterman's jacket. "Do we understand each other?"

"Yeah, man, we're clear. And I'm still in."

"Furthermore, if you dare question my actions or orders on this matter again, I will see to it that not only you but also your family are put through many things most unpleasant."

With that, Dack's assailant threw him so hard against the wall of the building that the senior bounced off at least a half a foot before crashing hard to the ground and gasping as what wind he'd managed to recover was once more knocked clear out of him. The black-haired senior coughed up a bit of blood as he lay there in the dust, watching the young man who had attacked him casually walk towards his vehicle and drive off as though leaving a girl's house after a date.

_Kim Possible, I want you on my arm, and I'll do whatever it takes to remove Stoppable from his perch by your side. But I think that guy wants to kill both you and Stoppable! Or maybe even worse!_

**…**  
**…**

Katie frowned as she looked over the latest set of orders that had arrived on her computer after being sent out from the WEE headquarters. If she followed them, she'd be playing at direct odds to the mission she'd been given. But if she didn't follow them she'd easily reveal herself as a traitor, something she could not afford to do at this juncture. Immediately she pulled out her compact-disguised communicator and pressed the button. When her superior's face appeared, he was frowning.

"What's the matter, Katie?"

At times like this, the twenty-something woman's British accent came around full force. "Sir, I can't keep this up. These latest orders from the WEE will either hurt Kim and Ron if I follow them or reveal me if I don't. There's no way to walk the fence on this one."

"Katie, remember that you're an agent who's currently on deep-cover assignment in the field. Sometimes we have to do things that we don't like to keep our stories plausible. Proceed with the orders."

"But, Sir, they're asking me to physically hurt her. The mental stuff I can handle, but I can't do something I know could hamper Kim for the rest of her life."

"Explain."

Katie frowned. "Sir, they are asking me to do something that disables Team Possible. What if it goes too far and either Kim or Ron doesn't walk away from it?"

Her superior sighed and looked down. He'd known that this particular mission would be mentally and emotionally taxing for the agent he sent on it, but in all his years with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's special ops branch, Joe had never met a more capable agent than Katie Ryan. Well, maybe Elizabeth Director back when he worked with her in '87, but that mission had proven just how 'gifted' an agent the current Global Justice head was, not to mention the mental stability she'd shown. He'd thought he seen a similar spark in Katie when she transferred over, but maybe the former MI-5 agent and current operative for the CSIS just didn't have the stuff necessary.

"Katie, be honest with me. Can you complete this mission under the set parameters?"

"Joe, if I follow these orders I break the mission profile."

Joe looked up and frowned. "The current mission profile on this joint operation by the CSIS and Global Justice states that you are to maintain your cover while protecting the lives of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, until such time as you are able to confirm all known WEE infiltrators to the G.V.U. faculty and student body. And by the information you have given me, you have only found two of the other five known infiltrators, and have only disabled one. That still leaves two more student agents and two faculty agents as major threats, including the fact that you do not know who one of the students and two of the faculty are. Trust me when I say that if Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable are anything like they were while dealing with Drakken's weather machine and the Vacrometer, they can handle anything you might have to do to identify the other moles the WEE had placed on the campus. Especially if you consider that Kim and Ron no longer have to hide their engagement."

Katie cringed. "But I can't do something that will hurt her or him!"

Joe smiled. "Katie, what are the specifics of the latest orders the WEE gave you?"

"The message specifically says, 'Agent Two, you are to disable Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable so that they are not prepared to react to the coming maneuver, as it is crucial to our revenge against them. Use whatever means you deem necessary to put them out of commission for the duration of the operation.' How am I supposed to accomplish something like that without harming them?"

Joe's smile widened. "Katie, it says nothing in there about 'harming' Team Possible. In fact, it might go a long way with your infiltration if you were to come up with another way to 'disable' the two of them without hurting them. Which I would think shouldn't be too hard for you considering the cover story the WEE has set you up with at G.V.U. Think it over, and report back to me in the morning with your decision."

As Katie closed the compact, she stared out the window of her on-campus apartment. Part of the reason she'd left MI-5 and joined the CSIS was that she disagreed with some of the more under-handed methods the British intelligence agency employed on their assignments. But now she was beginning to realize that maybe the tactics she felt so strongly against might be more common practice among spies than she wanted to admit. It seemed logical enough what Joe had been referring to when he brought up her cover story as a possible route to maintaining this identity. But what worried her more was that her superior hadn't even asked what she thought the new operation to be. And if her recent "discussions" with Agent One were any indication, it was going to be something big.

She gazed out into the night sky, noting for the thousandth time since this mission began the two lights on at Patriot Towers in the Units of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. As she rolled up her sleeve to rub ointment on her latest set of bruises, she couldn't help the worry that was starting to creep its way up her spine.

_Kim and Ron, I hope Joe is right about you two being able to handle things. Because I think Gemini and Gerhardt are about to pull a big play against you guys in the very near future._

* * *

a/n

As always, comments and reviews are greatly appreciated. :)


	19. Chapter 19

A/N

Chapter 19 is up and running!

I can't believe how fast this chapter has flown out of my brain and fingers! But, hey, I won't complain if you don't. :) And now, on to the story:

Kim and Ron talk about their friends' suspicions, and find they have surprisingly different views on the situation.

Wade has some startling news about the WEE for his friends, and it brings up new suspicions about who Team Possible can really trust.

And in the course of the conversation, Ron makes a plan, one that Kim's not about to let him follow through on alone.

Yori and Hirotaka have a heart to heart, and find that things between them might be changing.

Kim and Ron get a taste of what a college rivalry is like, and Ron is asked for his opinion on something.

Then, during the game against Air Force, things aren't going well in the first half...but a football game is always two halves long...

Dack has another encounter with his mysterious accomplice, and dark plans are set in motion.

Sheila reflects a little on what her parents will think of her.

Yori and Hirotaka are summoned back to Yamanouchi under mysterious circumstances, and meet up with Kim and Ron on the journey.

And then Sensei reveals a few key things, and Team Possible finds they may not be done with Mystical Monkey Power and destiny of the Monkey Master...

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

As Katie closed the compact, she stared out the window of her on-campus apartment. Part of the reason she'd left MI-5 and joined the CSIS was that she disagreed with some of the more under-handed methods the British intelligence agency employed on their assignments. But now she was beginning to realize that maybe the tactics she felt so strongly against might be more common practice among spies than she wanted to admit. It seemed logical enough what Joe had been referring to when he brought up her cover story as a possible route to maintaining this identity. But what worried her more was that her superior hadn't even asked what she thought the new operation to be. And if her recent "discussions" with Agent One were any indication, it was going to be something big.

She gazed out into the night sky, noting for the thousandth time since this mission began the two lights on at Patriot Towers in the Units of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. As she rolled up her sleeve to rub ointment on her latest set of bruises, she couldn't help the worry that was starting to creep its way up her spine.

_Kim and Ron, I hope Joe is right about you two being able to handle things. Because I think Gemini and Gerhardt are about to pull a big play against you guys in the very near future._

* * *

Thanks to the altercation between Ron and Dack on Wednesday evening, Kim didn't even think to talk to her love about what Monique had told her until Friday evening while they were watching a movie in the living room of her Unit. Of course, when she did, she kind of forgot one important detail…

"Ron, we need to have a talk."

The look of shock that crossed the blonde's face immediately clued her in to what she'd just said.

"Ron, I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that." To prove it, she immediately wrapped him up in a scorcher of a kiss.

Ron visibly relaxed when she finally let him go. "Okay. Heart-attack avoided."

Kim giggled, but then frowned. "Focus, Ron. We still need to discuss something."

Ron's smile disappeared, but he no longer looked panicked. "What's up, KP?"

"Have Viktor, Vinnie, or Allison talked to you recently? Like in the last few days?"

Ron shook his head. "Hasn't really been much time to talk to them during practice this week. Coach Devereaux's not happy about the Notre Dame loss, and he's been pushing both the offense and the defense pretty hard. Plus, G.V.U. and Air Force evidently have a rivalry on the level of the Army/Navy game, so he wants to make sure we don't overlook them. Why do you ask?"

Kim frowned, and turned off the TV. "Ron, Monique told me something Wednesday morning, something I think you need to know. She said there are others trying to split us up. Others besides Dack and Rachael, I mean."

Ron smiled. "KP, we already knew that. We get approached by people at least ten times a week."

"Ron, I'm being serious here. According to what Mon told me, Dack and Rachael were obsessed, but they didn't put much planning into what they've tried so far. She said the ones we need to watch for are Bricin Lambert and Nate Highland."

Ron actually laughed! "Nate and Bricin? There's no problem there. I think Monique's just being paranoid since Nate is good friends with Dack and Bricin is BFFs with Rachael."

Kim's frown deepened. "Ron, she's not the only one who thinks they're up to something. So does the rest of the group we've been hanging out with up here lately."

Ron smiled. "Okay, I might give her Nate, but Bricin's been nothing but nice to me in my Introduction to Business class. And she's had nothing but nice things to say about you. She even complimented how you stood up to Rachael on Halloween."

Kim's eyebrow rose. "You never told me she was in your class. And why is she? She's a junior, isn't she?"

Ron shrugged. "She said she's trying to pick up a minor in Business to supplement her major in Marketing."

Now Kim's weird-ar started going off full blast. "Ron, she's not going for a degree in Marketing. She told me and the rest of the freshmen cheerleaders she was doing something in Education."

"Huh. Well, maybe she changed majors and misspoke when she talked to one of us."

Kim shook her head. "Ron, one of these days that view you have of everyone being inherently good is going to cause some major trouble."

Ron frowned. "Hey, I don't think that of _everybody_. I thought Monkey Fist was five-hundred miles of bad road the first time we met him, remember? And while I supported your crush on Josh, I initially didn't like him. Nor did I approve of…that thing that much after I got to know him a little better."

Kim sighed. "Ron, all I'm saying is that if a majority of our friends are saying there's something wrong with someone, its possible there might be. I mean think about it, if I'd listened to you about Monkey Fist and…and _Erik_…we could have avoided two sitches we very nearly didn't come out of as the winners. I'm just asking you to think about it and keep your guard up around her."

Ron lifted his arm from around her shoulders and crossed it with his other across his chest. "KP, I haven't seen any reason to doubt Bricin or her intentions. And until I do, I'll go with my gut on it."

"And what if the first sign you see is the move she makes to split us up, Ron? What then?"

Ron was about to reply when the familiar tone rang from both their wrists.

_Beep Beep Be-Deep._

"What?" they both snapped at their Kimmunicators at once.

"Umm…bad time, guys?" Wade said with a frown.

Kim shook her head. "Sorry, Wade. We were just…discussing something."

"Okay…," the tech genius replied as he rubbed his neck. "Just wanted to let you guys know I found something else on Gerhardt and the WEE. Apparently they've been trying to recruit a lot of younger people into the organization since you guys beat them a few years ago. Mostly people the same age as you two."

"Meaning what?" Kim replied. "That they're trying to infiltrate our lives?"

Wade nodded. "It is a possibility. I mean, you guys said that Betty told you there were agents from the WEE posing as students on the G.V.U. campus. It's not that far a stretch to assume that the agents were placed there because you guys were already enrolled."

Ron scratched his head. "But Betty said there were agents at multiple levels. We only started attending here this fall."

The thirteen-year-old frowned. "That's the other thing I managed to dig up. Since you guys made the announcement that you were going to be attending G.V.U., the WEE has more than tripled their recruiting efforts. And it's not just Gemini and the twenty-four agents with Greek letters in the main organization anymore. Now they've got subordinates and everything. Whatever Gerhardt's been doing as the new Agent Alpha is apparently working."

Kim blinked a few times. "Wait, Ivan Gerhardt is Gemini's new Agent Alpha?"

Wade's right eyebrow went up pointedly. "You didn't know?"

The red-head frowned. "Dr. Director didn't tell us."

"Or she conveniently left it out," Ron quipped. "Either way, definitely not Boo Yeah."

Kim nodded. "Agreed. Anything else she 'forgot' to tell us?"

Wade scanned his computer. "Does the 'Fury Faction' ring any bells?"

_Finally a reason to breathe normally_, Kim thought. "That she told us about. Said it's a secret organization she put together in case something like what Ivan tried this summer happens again."

Wade nodded. "But I'll bet she didn't tell you that you guys are already members, even if you don't join G.J. when you get your degrees. So am I, and so are Monique and Felix. As well as Zita Flores, Yori Kimura, and Hirotaka Shioda. Same thing with Joss and your brothers, Kim. We're all on the membership roster."

Kim shook her head in surprise. "Wait…what? I get us and you, and maybe Yori, Hirotaka, and Joss, but why the others?"

Ron frowned. "Kim, she did say that only those who show potential as possible agents are informed about the ties of this place to Global Justice. And all of them know about it in one way or another."

Kim nodded. "I guess. But, Wade, I get the feeling that's not the only reason you called us."

The tech genius smiled a little. "Still pretty good at reading me, Kim. And yeah, there is something else. We got a hit on the site from Tokyo University. Evidently some monkeys stole an artifact from their Archaeology department. And I looked it up. The only thing that Bates and D.N. Amy need to complete the Ritual of Living Stone now is the one who possesses the power but is not a master of it and the Amulet of Shangorilla. Which by the way I still can't locate."

Ron stood up decidedly. "That does it. Wade, I need you to organize a ride for me leaving immediately after the game tomorrow. I'm going to talk to Sensei in person."

Kim frowned. "Hold up, Ron. Why just you?"

Ron looked at her for a minute. "Oh, right. Ride for two, Wade."

"Ron…"

"KP, if Joss had a little more experience in the field, I'd say her too. But something tells me this isn't going to end well. And I don't think she's quite ready to learn about Yamanouchi yet."

The red-head frowned. "Ron, she already knows about it, remember? She follows every single thing we do. She even had a picture of the Lotus Blade on her wall when we went there in September."

Ron frowned. "Sorry, KP, but I don't think it's a good idea. To be honest, I don't feel entirely comfortable not just doing this myself."

"And why is that, Ronald Stoppable?" she replied with a tweaked look.

"Kim, no matter how you slice it, this thing probably centers on the Mystical Monkey Power. And I'm betting something that involves the MMP and calls for a blood sacrifice is going to involve Yono as well. I almost lost you once to him."

Now it hit her. "Ron, that's not going to happen this time around, and I know you have the ability to face that if you have to. Besides, once bitten, twice shy right? Now I know he can do that petrify-thing, and I'm going to be even more cautious to avoid the blasts."

Ron sighed. "Alright. Just promise me that if it comes to that this go-round that you'll let me take over when he shows."

Kim smiled. "Ron, I'm not going to promise something I can't hold up to. But I _will_ promise that I'll be more careful."

* * *

Yori frowned. Nearly five days earlier they had seen Fukushima enter this building, and still he had not reappeared. If she and Hirotaka had not seen him stay in other buildings as much as three days, they would have long ago guessed that they had somehow missed his leaving. But five days with no sign of the Yamanouchi betrayer was pushing the young kunoichi's nerves.

"Hirotaka-san, I begin to suspect that Fukushima has somehow sensed our following him and thus has evaded us," she groused as she nibbled on a package of nuts and berries she had pulled out of her pack.

"It is possible, Yori-chan," her companion agreed as he scanned the alleyway. "For that matter, we are not positive that this was the only path in or out. Or that he was even connected to our search for the Serpents were sent to locate."

Yori shook her head. "No, he is connected. Of that I am positive."

Hirotaka smiled. "Why do I get the feeling I am not the only one who took his betrayal of the Yamanouchi School personally, my Lily of the Fields? Did you also have a personal connection to him?"

Yori sighed. "Not to him, no. But to the school, I do have one, and I suspect it is stronger than most. Thus when Fukushima betrayed us, it felt like he had betrayed my home. That is something I could not forgive then, and I cannot do it now."

The young man cocked his head to the side. "But it is home, Yori-chan. We all live there during our training, and it felt to all of us that he had betrayed the place we called home."

"That is not what I meant. For you, there is another home on the day you leave the Yamanouchi School, another place to belong. For me, no such place exists. Ever since I was brought there at the age of five, I have never known a place to feel more like my true home. Even the places I lived before I came to the school never felt like home, and I have never known any family beyond the teachers and the friends I have made there. And yet I have always sensed a deeper connection, as if the Yamanouchi School is where I truly belong. It is the one place where I feel I am truly meant to be."

Hirotaka nodded. "I must admit I do not have that kind of connection. In fact, I know of only one other who might have known how that felt had she remained with us."

Yori smiled. "Yes, from the moment she was brought to the school, little Hana and I shared a connection I could not explain. In fact, only my connection with Master Sensei ever seemed stronger."

"Is that why you chose to go after him alone two years ago?"

The young woman shook her head as she stared at the door to the foreboding building once more. "I was not alone, Hirotaka-san. I asked for Stoppable-san's help as well."

"And yet not mine, Yori-chan."

Yori smiled. "Hirotaka-san, I approached the teachers about having you accompany me as well, but they said you were needed at the school. You are the only student Sensei has ever shared some of his most guarded techniques and secrets with, and the other teachers all believed you were needed to keep the morale of the other students up in Sensei's absence. They look up to you for guidance, and you have never failed them. Why do you think you were put in charge of the younger students when the Yono attacked?"

The young man cocked his head to the other side. "But there were many high-level students who were entrusted with the safety of the younger shinobi. I was not the only one."

"Yes, but only you, Hirotaka-san, were entrusted to protect your charges alone with no guidance from one of the teachers. And it is a position I believe that you filled admirably well."

Hirotaka nodded. "Please excuse my interruption, Yori-chan, but will not Master Sensei be angered that you have told me this?"

Yori smiled. "I am certain he will not be. He told me this after we had begun repairs to the school, and said that I alone was to pass the message. And that I should do so only when I felt the time was right."

"When the time was right," echoed Hirotaka. "And you believe this is the right time?"

Yori nodded. "Yes, I do. Sensei said that I would know the right time to tell you by how I saw you, and I feel as though I now see you in the way he referred to."

"And in what way is that, Yori-chan?"

She smiled nervously. "In a way that you may be trusted with anything I may tell you."

He would have pressed the matter further had a kunai with a note attached not flown between them at that moment to wedge itself in the concrete of the roof they were hidden on.

* * *

The charge on the G.V.U. campus the next day was even more evident than it had been all week. Normally, it was customary for visiting teams to be greeted at least somewhat warmly in the sense of good sportsmanship. However, there appeared to be none of that today. Apparently there was to be no love lost during this game, as the rivalry between the two teams was evidently in full swing. In addition, certain fan-adornments were not being received well. Normally, students cheering for the Guardians who painted their faces were allowed to do pretty much anything. But woe-betide anyone who dared make their blue marks as lightning bolts that day, as that was what the Air Force Falcons had emblazoned on the sides of their helmets. Anyone caught with that marking was instantly accosted as a traitor to the Guardian fan-base.

Kim and Ron also couldn't believe how much of the student body appeared suddenly fired up about that afternoon's game. It was typical for there to be at least a good portion of the students who didn't seem to care one way or another about the school's athletic teams, but the whole campus that day was decked out in the colors of blue and orange accompanied by black trim. Even those like Mitzy Drake, who typically never wore school colors, were showing their Guardian Pride. When they hit the Outpost Diner with Felix and Monique that morning for breakfast, the charge was even more apparent. They managed to get a table fairly quickly, but the diner was far from empty.

"I don't think I've ever seen this place this busy." Felix nearly had to yell to be heard over the noise.

"I know," replied Kim. "Bert and Trina must be pushed to the limits."

"Not quite," replied the waitress as she approached, apparently having overheard them. "We've got a couple of extra people who come in and help us out when we need it. And a girl from the Culinary program who helps in the kitchen on weekends."

"Probably Sophie De La Croix," guessed Ron. "This seems like the kind of place she says she wants to own."

"Right in one," replied Trina with a smile. "I swear, Ron, you really have an eye for this kind of stuff. By the way, that Triple Chocolate Pie you came up with is a really big hit."

"No big," the young man replied, echoing his fiancées customary reply to compliments. "It was only a little graham cracker thrown in with some white, dark, and milk chocolate custards."

"Boy, don't even start," Monique replied. "Your cooking is TMW and you know it."

Four pairs of eyes trained on her immediately. Kim voiced the question all were thinking.

"TMW, Monique?"

"Totally Mouth-Watering, girl."

"Won't argue with that," Trina said with a laugh as she pulled out her server's pad. "Now what can I get you this morning? We actually have a special today on scrambled eggs that Bert's calling the "Crushed Falcon Special".

"So you guys are getting into this too, huh?" Kim said with a smile.

"Well, shoot, of course we are. Can't be a Guardian fan and an Air Force Falcon fan at the same time. Just wouldn't be natural."

Ron laughed. "Now I get why your Grandpa Amos kept trying to psych me out about today, KP."

Kim smiled. "Ron, Grandpa already said he'll support you in this game. He just doesn't want it to be easy, that's all."

Felix frowned. "Well if Dack Daniels acts like he did against Notre Dame that might be exactly what happens."

Ron joined in the skepticism. "Yeah, I still don't get why Coach D. never said anything to him.

However, that afternoon after Kim walked him to the locker room, Ron got his answer. Or at least, he got what he supposed was the beginnings of one when Vinnie told him that Devereaux wanted to see the two of them and Nate Highland in his office right away. Inside, Devereaux had the three of them all take a seat before he closed the blinds on the windows that showed the locker room.

"Men, I have a bit of a problem on my hands. I'm sure you all three are acutely aware of the way Mr. Daniels behaved in the game against the Fighting Irish, and I feel I must apologize for not saying anything. It wasn't until I reviewed the game film this week that I saw exactly what you three were talking about last Saturday."

Vinnie raised his hand. "But Coach, we watched the game film Monday after practice. Why haven't you said anything prior to this?"

Devereaux frowned. "To be honest, Vinnie, I didn't quite have the full grasp of what had happened at that point. But then Coach Tyler told me he'd received some complaints from the receivers that Dack was lording how many catches he'd gotten over them, so this week I've been reviewing the video while checking the play list. And I noticed just how many times Mr. Daniels wasn't called to have the ball but had it anyway. Now, I've already removed the sword decals I give you guys from his helmet as punishment, but I wanted to ask the three of you for your thoughts on the matter."

"Why us, Sir?" Ron said as he looked at the other two players.

"Probably because we interact with him more than the others, right Coach?" Nate supplied.

"Right, Nate. Now, if I bench Mr. Daniels for this game, it's going to put a lot of pressure on you three because it will eliminate a good portion of the running plays. It also means a lot of the blocking assignments on passes will fall to Ron and Nate, and the Air Force linebackers and defensive line are normally pretty good pass rushers. Now, regardless of what you may feel on a personal level, particularly you Ron, do you feel it would be in the team's best interest if Dack wasn't allowed to dress for this game?"

There was silence in the room before Ron spoke up.

"Sir, I don't like him, but I think Dack should still dress out, just in case we find out we need him. I hate to say it, but Dack brings something to this team that none of the rest of us can—a leadership quality that not even Vinnie or Jean-Luc have. The rest of the team looks to him when things are falling apart. Regardless of what he did last week, that hasn't changed."

Vinnie looked at him with something like awe in his eyes. "Ron, think about it. After the way he acted, the rest of the team isn't going to look at him like that. Especially not after the way he treated you and Kim."

Ron fixed the junior quarterback with a look that surprised the other three occupants of the office. "And what would you rather do, Vinnie? Cost the rest of the team the game because of it? Whether we like it or not, Dack is a weapon on that field. We already know the Air Force cornerbacks and safeties can defend against your passing. And their linebackers are fast enough to get me. And Nate, you and I both know that while you can bulldoze, no one has the strength on the run on this team to match what Dack can do. I'm not saying let him play, but I'd rather have him there ready to go and not need him, than need him and not have him ready."

Devereaux smiled. "Okay, Ron. That's what we'll do. Vinnie, Nate, tell Coach Huey to pass the word to Dack. I need to speak to Stoppable a moment."

When the two juniors had left, Devereaux turned towards Ron. "Son, I need to be frank about something."

"What's up, Coach D.?" the young man replied.

"Ron, I heard about what happened Wednesday night. In fact, I heard a lot more than most people, I suspect. And…well…a couple of players have approached me, so I feel need to ask you something. Now, from what we know about you, neither I nor any of the other coaches would never ever suspect you of intentionally using your…'special abilities' to affect the outcome of a game. But at the same time, you should know that a few of your teammates don't share our views of the situation. Now, be honest with me: have you ever, even in high school, used the abilities in a game that allowed you to save this planet from those aliens?"

Ron took a deep breath. "Sir, I wasn't even aware my powers could let me do what I did to stop Warhok and Warmonga until that day. So I know for a fact that I never used them in a high school game. As far as college goes, that's part of the reason I do my best to keep so focused, so that I can make sure I don't ever use them in a game. Mostly, my mad running away skills come from years of dodging death rays, sonic annihilators and henchmen while helping KP with her missions."

The old war dog nodded. "I figured that, Ron, but like I said I had to ask. Now, go get finish getting dressed and rest your legs. I have a feeling we're going to be relying heavily on them today."

"Yes Sir."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Hello, Guardian Fans. And welcome once more the Shield and Spear Show, coming to you live from G.V.U. Stadium for the Fifteenth Annual 'Battle for the Falcon Shield' game between the Guardians of G.V.U. and the Air Force Falcons. I'm Rick Spear, and with me as always is my continual partner in crime, Wally Shield."

"Don't say 'partner in crime', Rick. Not with Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible down on the field."

"Right you are, Wally. Please disregard that 'crime' statement. And speaking of Ron Stoppable, Coach Devereaux told us in our pre-game interview with him that while Stoppable was back on the field for last week's tough loss in Notre Dame, Indiana, against the Fighting Irish, the young, first-year running back wasn't yet at a hundred percent. But that he should be at full strength today."

"It's a good thing too, Rick, because Air Force linebackers Ironside, Skerritt, and McGillis are some of the quickest the Guardians are going to face this year, all of them running at least 4.5 forties. We may find out today just how fast the freshman really is."

"That's true, Wally, and…hold up, what's this? Only James and Brissart came out to midfield for the coin toss, and now it's Tretiov and sophomore Quincy Clay back deep to return the opening kick. Is something wrong with senior slot-back Dack Daniels, the Guardians other captain? I see him on the sidelines, but for some reason didn't come out for the coin toss, nor is he in his normal position back deep with Tretiov for the kick-off. He's also not wearing his helmet, and one of the things Devereaux is known for is making all players wear their helmets at all times when they're on the sidelines and not either hurt or being coached. He also doesn't appear to be waiting on a coach to send him in."

"I don't know, Rick. There are many who claim that Daniels is one of the main reasons the Guardians lost last week, but Devereaux never said a thing about it. Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Guess so, Wally."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~****  
+++**

Over in the cheerleaders' area, the same question was being posed to the one person all the other cheerleaders thought might possibly know the answer.

"Seriously guys, I don't have a clue what's going on," Kim defended. "Ron hasn't mentioned anything about this. And I'm not the only one dating a football player, you know. Paulette's still with Danny Adams, and Michelle and Travis Mitchell are still an item."

Paulette Henson, who happened to stand next to the red-head in the normal formation, leaned over towards her. "True, but Danny and Travis aren't the ones who got into a fight with Dack on Wednesday."

Kim rolled her eyes. "For the hundredth time, Ron and Dack didn't get into a fight. Yes, Ron hit him, and Dack made a few threats, but that's all that happened. Besides, it looks as if Ron's heading out for the offense."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

In the huddle, things seemed down a bit.

"Alright, guys, we've got to come together on this today," Vinnie said. "We don't need Dack's showing-off stunts to win. Now let's do this. Colorado Blast on two. Ready, break!"

As they lined up, Ron could tell something was about to go very wrong. The linemen, even though there were now six of them with Travis Mitchell in at Tight End, all seemed rather nervous without Dack out on the field. As Vinnie called out the cadence, Ron did a quick scan of the left side where a Colorado Blast was supposed to go, and could already see the offensive line wasn't going to hold. The yards he was about to go for were not going to be fun to get…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"And there's the snap," Rick Shield called. "Handoff to Stoppable, and there goes the offensive line! OUCH, and Stoppable goes down hard after only a three-yard gain."

"And boy did he have to fight for those three, Rick," Wally added with a cringe.

"No arguments there, Wally. McGillis was all over him the minute he hit managed to get back to the line of scrimmage. Okay, 2nd and 7. Here's the snap, and it's another handoff to Stoppable. And he's drilled again, this time by Edwards on the blitz. Loss of one on that busted play."

"Rick, if Coach Devereaux is trying to send Daniels a message, I hope the young man is getting it loud and clear, as his teammates could sure use him right about now."

"Agreed, Wally. 3rd and 8, ball on the Guardians twenty-three. And James will drop back to pass. And it's a quick pass to the Tight End, Travis Mitchell. But the Falcons will drop him a few yards short of the first-down marker. And that will be the first time this season that the Guardians have gone three-and-out on their opening series. I tell you, Rick, I didn't think Daniels being out would make this much of a difference."

"He's got that intangible, Rick, and he brings that to the huddle. Just knowing he's back there in the back field ready to back them up makes all these guys play just a little bit better. James and Highland both have it to some extent, and maybe Stoppable will in a year or two. But right now only Daniels can truly bring that 'smash-mouth' mentality."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

The rest of the first half went like that, with the Guardian offense not able to do much. There was one lucky play where one of the Falcons' defensive linemen evidently missed an assignment, and Ron was able to barely squeeze out of the pressure for a seventy-five yard touchdown scamper, but most of the rest of the half they weren't able to even get past the fifty, with Ron, Nate, and Vinnie taking numerous hits along the way. Heading into the locker room, it was all Air Force's game with the score 31-7. And it was only thanks to the stellar play of Jean-Luc, Viktor, and the rest of the G.V.U. defense that the scoreboard wasn't reading a more accurate deficit like 63-7.

"Men, I don't know what's happening out there," Devereaux said shaking his head. "You guys are missing blocking assignments, dropping passes, misreading holes, everything. If it wasn't for those two interceptions and one fumble the defense managed to get that stopped them inside the thirty, we'd be getting killed out there."

"But Coach, we are getting killed," Danny replied. "Why aren't you putting Dack in?"

"Yeah, what gives, Coach?" another player called out.

Jean-Luc stood up, his blue eyes sparking fiercely. "Are you guys blind? Didn't you see what he did last week? Taking handoffs that weren't meant for him, grabbing passes that weren't thrown to him? I'm betting Coach is trying to prove that no one, not even some guy in _'third place for the Heisman'_ is more important than this team." The way the black-skinned senior linebacker from Paris, France spat out the Heisman part, one would have thought he was referring to an award covered in dog droppings.

"Is that really why you benched him, Coach D.?" Quincy Clay said with a shock on his face.

"Ask him yourself," the Guardian Head Coach replied. "All I know is that the other coaches and I are going back out to the field. You men have ten minutes before the second half starts. Ten minutes to get your heads out of your butts and back on your shoulders where they belong. We'll send a trainer at two minutes."

With that, all the coaches and trainers exited. A couple of minutes after the doors had been closed, sixty-six pairs of eyes turned towards one dark-haired senior.

"Well Dack, is it true?" Travis Mitchell said with frown. "Is that really why he benched you?"

"I'm not benched," Dack growled.

"You might as well be, Dack," Vinnie said through clenched teeth before turning to the others. "Guys, who cares why Coach D. isn't playing him. We can do this without him. Right now, we're showing everyone that one player can make a difference, something we all know is not true. And we're proving just how much we _need_ him."

Ron stood up beside him. "Vinnie's right. When I went down before the game with Army, you guys managed to beat them. Same thing the following week against Navy, and that one I didn't even offer up a trick play for you guys to run. One player doesn't make a team—it takes all of us to win, or all of us to lose. And I, for one, am done with losing. So I'm going back out there with the intent to come back and win this thing. Now who's ready to give up, and who wants to go out and bring the Falcon Shield back to our trophy case for another year?" That last part he pumped his right fist as he said it.

An immediate "Hoo-rah!" rang out, and sixty-five other right fists shot into the air.

"Then put your hands in!" Jean-Luc shouted. "Now…WHO…ARE…WE?"

"GUARDIANS!" came sixty-six voices.

As the rest of the team ran out of the locker room like bats out of hell, Jean-Luc, who since he wore jersey #6 happened to be Ron's locker-neighbor, clapped the blonde on the shoulder with a smile. "Good speech, Stoppable. You might make a decent Captain some day."

He followed the rest of the team, leaving Ron and the one person who hadn't joined in the cheer or the hands-in standing there alone.

"You really think a speech from a _freshman_ can inspire them like I can, Stoppable?" Dack fired in an acidly offensive manner.

"I had to say something, Daniels," Ron bit back. "Especially with _you_ letting everyone down like you have."

"Well, just don't think I'll take this lying down, _Freshman_. No one humiliates Dack Daniels and gets away with it. And this is twice you've done that very thing."

"I didn't do a thing to you, Dack," the young man countered. "You did it to yourself."

Dack glared at him. "Until you came here, I ruled this campus. And you will pay for this."

"Whatever, Daniels. Just do me a favor and don't ruin anymore of the games. The rest of the guys don't deserve something like that."

With Ron left the locker room to join the rest of his teammates. Dack stood there for a few moments, wishing there was something he could smash without having to pay for it. The knowledge that he would be implicated by Stoppable as the last one in the room lit his blood even hotter, and he ground his teeth in frustration. That's when he noticed the lock hanging open on Ron's locker. He grinned maniacally as a plan began forming in his brain…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Well, Wally, this is certainly a different G.V.U. team than we saw in the first half. And from the looks of things, Air Force Falcons head coach Fisher DeBerry doesn't have any idea how to get his players re-motivated."

"I'll say, Rick. That last drive puts the score at 31-28, and we've only just come to the end of the third quarter. Whatever Devereaux said in the locker room at halftime appears to have had a monstrous effect on the Guardians. I mean, they're out there playing like men possessed."

"That they are, Wally. And while we still don't know why he's yet to step on the field, those of us who thought Dack Daniels made a difference appear to have been dead wrong."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Devereaux smiled as the team gathered around him after the game, his back to the main scoreboard as was customary.

"Gentlemen, I want you take a good look at that scoreboard behind me. In all my years coaching at this school I have never been prouder of a group of young men. You were down by three touchdowns and a field goal, and look at the score now."

Behind him, the blazing lights of the scoreboard showed 49-31.

"I don't know what was said after we left that locker room, but it is obvious to me and to your other coaches that at least one or more players stepped up. Now I'm not going to ask who, because you played as one unit out there in that second half. I just want you men to know that today, I am proud to call myself a GLOBAL VANGUARD U. GUARDIAN!"

"HOO-RAH!" yelled the players while the fans, students, and cheerleaders surrounding them cheered.

"So tonight, I want you to have some fun. Now I'm not saying be stupid, but make sure you enjoy this! Because YOU EARNED IT!"

As the team and the crowd started to disperse, quite a few of the players clapped a certain freshman running back on the back in congratulations. And a very specific red-head came up and planted a very hot kiss on his lips, congratulating her fiancée on his first 300-plus-yard game.

* * *

Yori scanned the parchment that had been stuck in the ring of the kunai handle.

"Sensei requests our return to the Yamanouchi School. He would like to speak to us about important matters, as well as get an update on the progress of our mission."

Hirotaka frowned. "But we are in the middle of tracking Fukushima, Yori-chan. Are we to abandon this when it may lead us to the information we have been searching for?"

Yori mirrored his frown and continued reading. "Sensei also states that this mission must be put on hold until other matters are dealt with."

The young man breathed meaningfully through his nose and nodded. "Then we must go. Hopefully, we can make it back to the Yamanouchi School before Evening Meal."

"Always thinking with your stomach, Hirotaka-san?" his companion said with a smile.

"Only when it growls like the tiger," he replied with a smirk.

They set off, neither of them noticing the ninja crouched in the shadows and dressed in a gi so darkly red it was the color of black blood. He eyed them menacingly as he watched them go.

_So, Hirotaka and Yori, it is you the old fool sent to follow us. But I bet even he does not realize the power we now possess._

_

* * *

_

Several of the people leaving the stadium were a bit surprised to see a news chopper land nearly thirty minutes after the game was over, but those with a clear view easily understood why when they saw Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable exit the complex dressed in their mission clothes and quickly board the craft. As it took off, James Possible and Gene Stoppable, who had yet to miss a G.V.U. home game, both sent silent well-wishes after their children.

* * *

Dack frowned as he sat at the bar. He could see the guy he had come here to meet dancing with some girl he recognized, but for the life of him Dack couldn't think of her name. He knew he'd seen her multiple times up on the stage at the coffeehouse on poetry nights while he followed Possible around, but he had never caught her name. The guy had obviously seen him, but for some reason didn't appear to want the girl to know he was meeting Dack. He had in fact waved the senior football player off with a knowing and threatening look, one he hid from the girl he was dancing with. When she took off for a bathroom break, the blonde came over, the fire in his eyes blazing.

"I told you never to approach me in a place like this, Dack," he growled. "If someone sees us talking, they might make the connection and warn Possible and Stoppable."

Dack looked out at the dance floor. "Look, I just wanted to tell you that I'm done playing 'nice' with Stoppable. And that I took one of your earlier suggestions about how to start discrediting him."

The blonde clucked his tongue. "Dack, Dack, Dack. I'm afraid that you've waited too long for my earlier suggestions to have any effect on this situation. People know Stoppable now, and whatever you try will blow up in your face."

Dack smiled. "Not this one."

A sinister grin formed on the lips. "So you took _that_ suggestion, did you?"

"Actually, I took three of them. One, people could pass off, but three are going to look suspicious even to those who know him. Especially since I passed an anonymous tip to the University P.D. to have them search lockers Monday during practice. Even if they don't believe the thing I called about, the other one won't look good. And the third item is going to look awfully suspicious."

Brown eyes danced in evil glee. "I see you are learning, Dack. Very well, I look forward to the 'tossing of the lockers' on Monday. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must keep our interaction a secret from my companion this evening. And I would greatly _appreciate_ it if you would leave now. Or do you need another reminder of who calls the shots here?"

Dack downed his drink and stood up. "No, I remember. And just so you know, I'm willing to go farther now."

"Good to know, Mr. Daniels. Good to know."

* * *

Sheila Godfrey scanned the night sky of Go City from her balcony. She'd never expected to be one of those people who found peace staring out at the nightlife lights of a city, but then again, she'd never expected a lot of things that had happened to her lately. And three…well, four of the biggest ones were currently staring her right in the face so to speak. And truth be told, none of them had ever really crossed her mind as being even remotely possible.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She'd gotten glimpses of rejoining the side of good during that whole business with the return of Electronique. And the idea of not only being engaged to Andy Lipsky, but also pregnant by him had been something she'd contemplated a few times but never really given serious thought to until it happened. However, the fourth thing on her mind was something she'd never even dreamed of having come true in real life because it was something she'd thought impossible. It was actually possible that she'd get to talk to her parents again—assuming she could find them of course.

So far, all they had was a general location: Venice, Italy. And that was only if they were still in the same place they'd called her brother Hector from so many months ago. The Princess's techno-pal had attempted to trace the phone Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey had called from several times in the past month or two, but so far no luck. But even if he did find them, there was no guarantee they'd still be there, or that Sheila would even be able to talk to them face to face. She knew pregnant women weren't allowed to fly in the third trimester, and hers was fast approaching. Meaning that if contact wasn't made soon, she'd have to somehow convince them to come out of hiding to come and see their former villainess daughter. And all of this based on the slim chance that they even wanted to come and see her after all the things she'd done in the name of conquering the world.

_I knew my past would catch up to me one day_, she groused, fighting away a very mild pain in her temples that always seemed to pop up when she started regretting her past actions.

"Sheila?" Hector called from his own Go City-facing balcony. "Dinner's ready."

"Down in a few minutes," she called. "Go ahead and start without me."

She glanced out at Go City Bay, smiling. _Well, at least I can prove I'm being civil with my brothers again._

* * *

The flight to Japan itself wasn't a problem for Kim, Ron, and Rufus. What was a problem was that the pilot misunderstood that their connection was Tokyo, and flew them all the way out to Kyoto instead.

"Sorry guys," Wade said. "The only thing I can get you on such short notice is a travel bus heading towards Yamanouchi Town at the base of Mt. Yamanouchi. And the ride is going to be almost six hours."

"Aww, man," complained Ron. "At least tell me it's a different group than that Golden Age Adventures group we traveled with during the whole mess with Team Impossible."

"Well…," Wade said with a nervous smile.

A few minutes later, Kim and Ron found themselves on a bus that was indeed full of seniors, still led by Miss Imogene Silver. Although this time she did indeed have a boxed lunch for them.

"You and those other two young people are very lucky. We had a few of our regular couples cancel, and we still had their lunches in the cooler when you called."

"Other young people?" Ron said with a confused look. Then he and Kim heard a very familiar voice.

"Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. It is our honor to be traveling with you."

"Yori!" Ron exclaimed as he hugged his friend.

"Hello, Stoppable-san. It is good to see that you and Kim Possible are well."

"Hey, Yori. Hi, Hirotaka," Kim replied with a smile.

"Who?" Ron said with a scratch of his head. "How do you know him, KP?"

Kim looked at him pointedly. "Ron, Hirotaka was the student that exchanged with you remember? The guy who drove into the Middleton gymnasium on his motorcycle."

Ron smiled. "Oh yeah. You were the one Bonnie called 'Motorcycle Hotness,' and asked if Middleton could make the trade permanent."

"Bonnie Rockwaller," Hirotaka said with a frown. "A two-faced demon when she learned that the rich I referred to my family being was not rich of the monetary sort. I regret ever calling her my 'number one girlfriend.'"

Yori felt just slightly stung, and now knew some of what Kim had felt when the red-head had never heard of her and why she had reacted as she did, as Yori herself had never heard of this "Bonnie" girl. "And who is this 'Bonnie Rockwaller', Kim Possible? A pretty girl?"

Kim shrugged. "I guess you could say that, although ferociously shallow and obsessed with the 'food chain' when we were in high school. She wouldn't even give Ron the time of day except for the short time in tenth grade when he got that first royalty check from Bueno Nacho."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, if I could do that over again I'd definitely cut her out of it. Hindsight is 20/20 though."

"I see," replied the young kunoichi.

Kim could swear she saw a trace of darkness flash from her friend's eyes over at Hirotaka. If the red-head didn't know better, she'd almost think there might be something forming between her two Japanese friends. However, the look on Yori's face made it blatantly clear in Kim's mind that this was not a good time to ask about a relationship sitch between the two ninja.

The rest of the ride to the village at the base of Yamanouchi was spent either talking about this and that or sleeping, as it was pretty late. And as it turned out, the boxed lunches Ron had been so furious about not getting the first time he and Kim had needed to catch rides with the Mrs. Silver and her tour group were not as badical as he had claimed. Even the cookie was relatively dry and tasteless, but the contents of the box did at least qualify as edible food—even if it was only slightly higher on the chart than Middleton High cafeteria fare.

The bus finally dropped the four of them off at the base of Mount Yamanouchi around 4:00 AM the next morning before it continued on to see some of the local shrines and temples. The young people all glanced up into the early morning mists surrounding the peak, Kim and Ron with a little weariness while their two friends looked up with a mixture of that and a sense of coming home. The trek up the mountain, however, seemed remarkably short, and they arrived at the bridge just as the sun was beginning to peak over the nearby peaks. By the time they crossed the bridge in fact, the gates were open and the current students were already beginning their morning drills. And over in the corner of the courtyard, seated in lotus position in the shrine where he had first introduced Ron to the Lotus Blade, was the head of the school, Master Sensei. As they approached he smiled.

"Yori and Hirotaka, it is good to see that you appear well after your journey. And Stoppable-san and Possible-chan, it is good to see you as well."

The four young people bowed respectively before Yori and Hirotaka stepped forward.

"Master Sensei, we have troubling news from our travels," Yori began. "We uncovered many disturbing things."

Sensei nodded. "I have suspected this is why you have not contacted me recently, and it is part of the reason I have summoned you back. Unfortunately, it is not the only reason. There are troubling matters at hand, and I believe these matters also concern why Stoppable-san and Possible-chan have returned here."

Ron stepped forward. "Sensei, there are some things I need to ask, and both Kim and I would appreciate it if you could be straight with us."

Kim smiled and joined Ron's side. "What he means, Sensei, is that we can't really afford to spend time interpreting if things are as serious as we think they might have become."

The old teacher nodded. "You are correct to ask this of me. However, this conversation cannot take place here among the ears of those not ready for the information." He signaled to another teacher. "Instructor Katsumayo, you are in charge of the morning drills until I return. And I ask that you please prohibit the students from approaching my quarters until we emerge."

"As you wish, Master Sensei," the teacher replied with a bow.

Sensei then rose and signaled to the four young people to follow him. They did so, and he led them into his quarters and into the back room, shutting all doors as he did so. He then reached into his pocket and retrieved his stone tokens before placing them in the dragon's mouth, revealing the hidden door and the scroll on the stand with the jade roller handles shaped like monkeys.

"The Prophecies of the Jade Monkeys," Hirotaka said with reverence.

"The what?" Ron said, scratching his head.

Yori also looked at the scroll with awe. "It is a recording taken down by Chinese monks in the 1st Century. It supposedly foretells of all things related to the Mystical Monkey Power. According to what Sensei has told me of its words, it is how we knew to find you in Middleton, Stoppable-san."

"She is correct, Stoppable-san," Sensei replied as he removed the scroll from its stand as if carrying a newborn baby. "These prophecies tell of everything concerning the energies within you from the time of Toshimiru to now."

Kim shook her head. "So wait, you knew Ron would be called to stop the Lorwardians before he was ever born."

Sensei shook his head as he placed the scroll on a much shorter stand that they all had to kneel around to be able to read the words comfortably. "No, I did not. For you see, these prophecies rely on the choices we choose to make. For example." He rolled scroll on its handles until it was to a very specific point. "Please, read this section."

Ron leaned forward, and though the writing was foreign he could instantly understand it and read aloud. "Watch therefore for the sun-topped Rabbit who follows the Dragon of flaming crown. Though the Dragon leads, the Rabbit shall be the one to defeat the Dark Pretender in first combat. His shall be advised by the Tiger to face his terror and embrace that which he most fears to become the True Master."

Kim smiled. "Hey, I was born in '88, the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac. And the year before was the Year of the Rabbit, and Ron chose to embrace his fear of monkeys and face Monkey Fist on Cousin Larry's advice. And Larry was born just before the Year of the Tiger ended. But if Ron never took my cousin's advice and gained the Mystical Monkey Power to defeat Monkey Fist…"

"Then he would not have been the Monkey Master of prophecy," finished Sensei. "This is correct."

"But what about the Lotus Blade?" Ron said with a puzzled look. "If this thing talked about that, couldn't you have warned me when I arrived?"

Sensei shook his head, and rolled the scroll forward to another passage. "Yori, please read."

Yori leaned forward. "The True Master shall arrive from the Town that is Centered, and shall constantly show reasons why he is not the Chosen One. Only when the Child of the Hidden True Home is captured by the Short Ones shall he step forward to accept his path with the Hidden One's help. He shall defeat the Dark Pretender once more, and display a glimpse of his power when he fells the Betrayer and retrieves the Sword of The First."

Hirotaka frowned. "So then Fukushima was supposed to betray us, in order to bring this about."

Another negative shaking of the head from the old master. "No, Hirotaka. That role was unfilled until Fukushima chose to fill it. Just as Yori did not fulfill the role of the Child of the Hidden True Home until she chose to seize the honor of retrieving the Lotus Blade, as there wer many orphans training here at that time. And I myself did not know who the Hidden One was until she informed me of Rufus-san's ability to wield the true power of the Lotus Blade." He rolled the scroll forward once more. "Possible-chan, please read the next part."

Kim looked at the parchment, but couldn't make out the writing. She glanced at Ron, who shrugged and motioned forward. Incredibly, when she leaned forward, the words instantly transferred over to a language she could easily translate. She smiled and read.

"And at the end of the Period of Learning, the Dragon shall be taken along with the Mad One who once tricked her into her greatest near-defeat. They shall be taken away by the Outsiders, and the Rabbit shall form the Unlikely Partnership of Jade Fire to rescue her from the heavens. The Dragon shall fight but she shall fall, and the True Master's greatest triumph shall be upon him. But not before the Mad One achieves his Greatest Victory. Then and only then shall the True Master be ready to defeat the Outsiders. However, beware…"

There was more to this particular passage, but for some reason, Sensei had only unrolled the scroll to that point and Kim could not read the rest. She looked at him, but he shook his head sadly.

"I would like to allow you to continue, Possible-chan, but unfortunately it contains information you are not yet meant to know. And we are also short on time, and must continue to the reason you have come here."

She nodded and sat back, and he rolled scroll back up but did not yet return it to its place in the hidden compartment. He bowed his head, and spoke in a grave voice that made all present feel a sense of great unease.

"Unfortunately, The Monkey Master's path does not end with the invasion of the Lorwardians, Stoppable-san. Nor will you always be able to obtain what you consider a successful outcome in your battles. Certain choices will dictate your fate and the fate of those close to you. And soon you will face the second of the Great Trials."

Kim and Ron glanced at each other with worried looks before Ron turned back towards the old master with a frown and asked, "No matter what Kim and I do, Bates and D.N. Amy are going to succeed in their attempts to resurrect Monkey Fist, aren't they?"

* * *

a/n

Although I didn't plan it that way when setting their ages, the birthdays I set for Cousin Larry, Kim, and Ron all fall in the exact right places for the part about their dates of birth in the Chinese Zodiac to be true about them. Incredible, yes? :)

As always, comments and reviews are always greatly appreciated. :)


	20. Chapter 20

A/N

Chapter 20 is up and running!

Plans are set in motion and preparations are made...but is the wrong thing being guarded?

Then the members of Team Possible confront a possible problem between them, and a little outside perspective helps clear things a little.

A pair of schemers realize that their plan may require more planning.

Ron faces a predicament he never expected, and only one person can get him out of this...

Team Possible faces down one of their least favorite people.

The Yamanouchi School gets some unwanted visitors, but something about the encounter sticks in a certain kunoichi's mind.

Finally, Kim and Ron prepare for a holiday in the trenches: it's time for the trip to meet Jean Stoppable's family.

No big, right?

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Kim nodded and sat back, and Sensei rolled the scroll back up but did not yet return it to its place in the hidden compartment. He bowed his head, and spoke in a grave voice that made all present feel a sense of great unease.

"Unfortunately, The Monkey Master's path does not end with the invasion of the Lorwardians, Stoppable-san. Nor will you always be able to obtain what you consider a successful outcome in your battles. Certain choices will dictate your fate and the fate of those close to you. And soon you will face the second of the Great Trials."

Kim and Ron glanced at each other with worried looks before Ron turned back towards the old master with a frown and asked, "No matter what Kim and I do, Bates and D.N. Amy are going to succeed in their attempts to resurrect Monkey Fist, aren't they?"

"Only if they get what they seek, Stoppable-san" Sensei said with a frown. "By what I know and am able to tell you, there is still a chance that you may stop them. And even if they succeed, you may yet emerge the victor if the right choices are made."

Kim's mouth set in a determined line. "Then the first thing we need to do is make sure both you and Rufus are safe."

"Why Sensei?" Yori asked with concern, the same unexplainable chill of fear she had felt two years earlier welling up in her heart.

The red-head frowned. "Wade found a pair of rituals that we think D.N. Amy and Bates are going to use to resurrect Monkey Fist, especially if we look at the items and manuscripts those two have been collecting. One is 'The Ritual of Living Stone', and the other is 'The Monkey's Baton'. 'The Ritual of Living Stone' calls for the one who possesses Mystical Monkey Power but is not a master of it, which has to mean Rufus. With that one, Monkey Fist will be reawakened but still be trapped under the curse of the Path of the Yono. In other words, he'll basically be a living statue with the same vulnerabilities as a human being."

"And the other ritual? This 'Monkey's Baton'?" Hirotaka asked with a furrowed brow.

"According to Wade, the spell called 'The Monkey's Baton', allows for the passing of the Path of the Yono curse from one entity to another," replied Ron. "But to work it requires the blood of someone with exceptional skill in Tai Sheng Pek Kwar but no current indications of Mystical Monkey Power. And we figured that would be Sensei."

The old man nodded, but did his best to keep hidden the air of dread he felt. By what the two had told him, it was indeed possible he was the one called for by the spell known as 'The Monkey's Baton,' as he still possessed the skills but no longer felt the Mystical Monkey Power coursing through him. Unfortunately, if his suspicions were correct, there was another who fit the bill as well…

"Tell me, Stoppable-san, what do you wish for us to do?"

Ron thought hard for a moment. "Well, with Rufus it's pretty simple, because he's either in my pocket or near me at all times since we found out he was a target. But for you, Sensei, I'm not sure. I mean, it's not like we can constantly be checking on you every minute of every day. And if something were to happen, it would take us at least four hours to get here on our fastest ride."

Kim smiled. "Ron, the answer is sitting right here with us: Yori and Hirotaka. I mean, Yori was able keep from getting petrified when the Yono managed to zap me, Rufus, and Sensei. And from what I've seen of Hirotaka's skills, he'd be more than a match for any size band of monkey ninjas and D.N. Amy's creations."

Hirotaka smiled but Yori frowned.

"But what about the mission that Sensei had us on?"

The old master smiled. "That may wait for now, Yori. And I believe Possible-chan's choice of you two as my guardians to be a wise one. I could be in no safer hands."

Yori nodded. "Then it will be our honor," she replied as both she and Hirotaka bowed respectfully to their teacher.

With a plan set in motion, Kim and Ron called Wade for a ride back to Upperton. Of course, as it turned out, they could have made the journey over to Japan in record time when it was revealed that Global Justice had a satellite base in Tokyo, and thus a transport tube that could take them back and forth. As they entered the facility, Ron couldn't resist a remark.

"What, do they have the world more tubed-up than Wade has it wired?"

Kim shook her head. "Ron, you and I both know nothing covers the world like Wade's network. Besides, we can only use G.J.'s transport tubes for special cases. Betty told me that the one used to connect us to Joss took a forty-three page packet of forms to be approved. And then only if we don't abuse it."

"So that's why you haven't taken her up on her suggestion to zip up to Montana any time we feel like it."

"Exactly, Ron. It's only there if we really need it. Besides, we'd have to let Uncle Slim or Nana know we're coming. Unless you feel like walking a mile in the rain next to a soaking wet and uncomfortable red-head if it's storming when we get there."

Ron's grin widened at the thought. "Mmmm…soaking wet KP…badically sexy…"

"RON!" she admonished as the Japanese Global Justice techs laughed and she blushed a million shades of red—though her embarrassment was more from the agents hearing him than from him thinking of her that way.

As it turned out, the tube they were catching back State-side took them straight to the Go City base, and they ended up having to catch another ride anyway. Not that they minded since it was only about a two to three hour long ride from Go City to Upperton on the G.J. hover jet, and gave them a good chance to catch up on their cuddling a bit. When they arrived back at G.V.U. Sunday around 3:00 in the afternoon, they were both more tired than they realized, and ended up crashing out on the couch in Kim's Unit. When Monique walked in from a date with Viktor, she merely smiled at the site of Ron lain out while Kim lay on top of him utilizing his chest as a pillow, both of them still dressed in a set of their mission clothes.

When they woke that evening, the first thing Kim did was to call Wade and have him begin working on Kimmunicators for Yori and Hirotaka. Hirotaka had chosen black for his, while Yori had gone with her second-favorite color of rich, dark green. Ron had offered to let her have the red and redesign his, but she had politely refused the gesture.

"Just as Kim Possible will be the only one to possess the aqua blue, so should you be the only one who may possess the red, Stoppable-san," she had said with a smile. Besides, the red will stand out in shadows where the dark green will not."

Surprisingly, Wade had already created a pair of Kimmunicators for their Japanese friends, and only waited to send them because he didn't know what colors to make the casings. As a result, he had them sent over that evening, courtesy of an aerial drop by one of their many rides. He also included a note for the two shinobi to contact them as soon as they received the devices, which they did around 11:00 PM Kim and Ron's time. When the connection was established, each person was looking at a screen divided five ways, as Joss had joined them as well.

"So does this mean that these two're on the team now too?" said Joss with a questioning eye.

Kim and Ron looked at each other in surprise. Neither of them had really thought about the idea of bringing their Japanese friends in on the mission work. When they turned back towards their Kimmunicators though, they were both smiling.

"Only if they want to be, Joss," Ron replied. "We mainly set this up so we could coordinate with each other during this whole Monkey Fist resurrection sitch."

Yori and Hirotaka both smiled and bowed at their new Kimmunicators, and the young kunoichi spoke first. "While it would be a great honor to join you, Hirotaka and I have matters of our own that we must attend to. Not to mention that we have the duty as ninja to remain in the shadows whenever it is possible. However, we do agree that this will make the passing of information a much easier task."

Kim nodded. "Just give us a call if you need anything or dig up anything. Wade is the main call, I'm on channel number one, Ron's on number two, and Joss is number three. And the four of us can normally get in contact with each other pretty easily."

"Agreed, Kim Possible," Hirotaka replied.

The two Yamanouchi graduates bowed, and then their parts of the screen went blank and the device now showed only three faces on each. And while Kim, Joss, and Wade were all smiling, Ron got a frown.

"Hate to say it, Wade, but if too many more join this team you're gonna have to make something either wider or bigger."

The tech genius smiled. "Already working on that for the Kimmunicator 3s."

"Kimmunicator 3s?" Joss replied. "Ah thought that we were still on Version One here."

Wade shook his head. "Nope. The original handheld is the Kimmunicator 1, and the current wrist versions are the Kimmunicator 2s. Speaking of which: Kim, do you still use the handheld?"

Kim nodded. "Yes, I do. Why?"

The young man smiled. "Just wondering. I still have it set up on channel zero, and just wanted to make sure. Did you happen to use it in the past few days?"

Now Kim was confused. "No, I didn't. What's going on Wade?"

Wade rubbed the back of his neck but kept smiling. "Probably nothing, but I picked up activity on it for a few minutes during the game yesterday afternoon. And it was during a time that I'm pretty sure neither one of you was free, since Ron was on the field and you were at the top of a pyramid."

"What kind of activity?" Ron said with a frown.

The tech genius looked at his computer, evidently pulling up a file record of some sort. "Doesn't look like anything major, just the normal shifting of files. In addition, there was a transfer of information from the Kimmunicator 1 to another device during that period. But it wasn't anything big, so I just assumed it was Kim backing up some of the older files she had stored. If it hadn't happened during the game, I wouldn't have thought anything about it."

Kim shrugged. "Sorry, Wade, it wasn't me. I left it in my locker in the cheer team's dressing room. Didn't touch it from about 5:30 PM until we he headed out to the helicopter around 10:00. I didn't even notice it if anything was shifted around when I pulled my stuff out because we were in such a hurry to catch our ride."

Joss smiled. "Wait, don't these things have some sort of camera feature that automatically records us when we're usin' 'em?"

Wade sighed. "Normally, yes, but I deactivated the feed for the Kimmunicator 1 when I turned on the one for Kim's Kimmunicator 2, and just rerouted it to record through that. And all that would show us is what Kim's wrist saw."

Kim grinned. "Wade, depending on what the cheer squad was doing, that might tell us who was there. Because I suspect it might have been one of them who accessed the K1."

"Not this again, KP," Ron complained. "I told you Friday night that we still don't have any reason to doubt Bricin's intentions. She _supports_ us as a couple."

A red-head's eyebrow rose. "Mah cousin didn't say it was this Bricin girl, Ron. She only said it might have been someone on the squad."

"She's right, Ron," Wade added with a lean forward on his desk. "Kim never said she suspected Lambert to be our mystery hacker."

Ron sighed out his mistake. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a little raw from our fight the other night."

Kim smiled and placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Ron, that wasn't a fight, at least not in my book. Yes, we both lost a bit of our tempers, but we both have good reason to think we're right on this one. An argument, yes, but a fight it definitely wasn't. Though I do still think we need to be more careful around Bricin than we have been. I'm not saying we have to focus on her as a threat, just be a little more cautious around her."

Ron smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll try to. Though I still think she's harmless."

**…**  
**…**

Just off the other side of campus, Nate frowned at the picture before him. "Bricin, I don't like it. It's too bold a move, especially with the two of them already pretty much on guard against Dack after Wednesday."

The red-headed junior cheerleader sighed in frustration. "Well when do you want to strike? Cause I'm getting tired of playing nice with 'Kitty' Possible. And it's driving me up the wall to keep having to think up compliments about her to tell Ron. I mean, she doesn't have that many _redeeming_ qualities. And besides, I thought we agreed to have them split up before New Year's Eve."

Nate let out an audible breath through his nose. "That was before we found out about their engagement, Bricin. If they're that close, it's gonna take a lot more than we thought to break them up. Or do you want to end up with bruise the size of Kim's hand on your face like Rachael got? Cause I can about bet that's what you'll get if we fail to pull this off."

Bricin sighed and touched her cheek gently. "Well…no, I guess not."

Nate's grin took on a bit of a schemer's edge. "Besides, don't forget that since we're both juniors we've still got a whole 'nother year here with them before we ourselves graduate. I say we keep doing what we've been doing and keeping putting chinks in their relationship. Eventually we'll find a weak spot, and that's when we go for the big strikes."

* * *

Surprising both Kim and Ron, Katie once again cancelled their Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. class on Monday afternoon. However, rather than waste the opportunity, both of them decided to head down to their respective practices early to get in a little bit of extra work. Kim, always the perfectionist, felt she needed to work on her already impressive flips some more, while Ron knew he needed to get back into his unpredictability when running the ball. Yet when she dropped him off at the field house, they were both surprised to see a pair of University Police Department squad cars sitting out in front of the sidewalk into the building. Curious, they both headed inside to see what was going on. Inside, they found a trio of U.P.D. officers talking with the football coaches inside the office. But since the door was shut, they couldn't hear what was going on. Ron also noticed that Warren Boone's locker was now completely empty.

"Maybe they finally decided to press charges against Warren," he offered.

Kim shook her head. "Ron, that was over three months ago. Besides, didn't you tell me they already pressed charges on him?"

Ron rubbed his chin. "Yeah they did, now that I think about it. But then what's this all about?"

Kim smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Well whatever it is, I'm sure you don't have a thing to worry about, Ronnie."

With that she smiled, and headed back out to the Sloth. Ron shrugged, and dressed out quickly, thankful that for once he didn't have to go digging in his locker for his practice pants or his pads. He then headed out to the practice field, went through a few stretches, and started running a few evasion drills that Coach Huey had taught him. Around thirty minutes later, other players started arriving, and all of them seemed just as confused about the presence of the U.P.D. as he was. But like him, all of them passed it off as nothing, and even more so once they started their team stretches. However, when they came to the after-stretch huddle, it wasn't Coach Devereaux who greeted them, but Coach Huey and Coach Tyler. Coach Huey was a rather portly man with brown hair and a pencil-thin mustache, and Ron often found himself wondering just how a man so large could have ever landed the position of running backs coach. Coach Tyler on the other hand was skinny as a rail with grey, thinning hair, and looked like one good tackle might snap him in half. At the moment, he carried a clip board, while Coach Huey stood with his arms behind his back.

"Gentlemen, we will not be practicing today. It has come to our attention, thanks to an anonymous tip provided to the G.V.U.P.D. this morning, that some of the members of this team may be engaging in illegal activities this afternoon. Now, at the present time we don't know who or what they were up to, so we will have to do a full team search."

There was a quiet murmuring among the players, and a couple looked suddenly very uncomfortable in Ron's eyes.

"Now, we are going to go through this in an orderly fashion. Coach Tyler has in his hands a list of all sixty-seven players currently on this team. A few of you at a time, you will be joining Coach Devereaux and the U.P.D. in the locker room, and your locker will be cleared and searched. The same will be done with your equipment, and anything you may have brought with you today. Now, if any of you have anything you are not supposed to have, if you step forward now the consequences will be much less severe."

A player in the back raised his hand. "Uhh, Coach…I think there might be something in my locker that's not supposed to be."

Coach Huey nodded. "Very well, DeSaul. Go ahead in. Anyone else wish to come forward now?"

Another player a few feet away from Ron raised his hand. "Hey, Coach, what constitutes stuff we're not supposed to have? Cause I have a package in my locker that I normally wouldn't have except I'm taking it over to the service shop for my dad after practice."

Coach Tyler eyed him. "Even if you only have it there for today, Sardoza, I am guessing you are still not supposed to have this item in your locker, correct?"

"I…umm…suppose not," Sardoza replied.

"Well then, head in," Coach Tyler admonished.

No one else stepped forward, so Coach Huey continued.

"Then we'll begin now. And we'll be doing this numerically in reverse. And since DeSaul and Sardoza are already inside, I need #92 Armandé Rodriguez and #89 Mitchell Travis to head in at this time. The rest of you will wait here with Coach Tyler and me. If anyone attempts to leave before they have been cleared, including Stoppable on one of his missions, the U.P.D. has declared that it will be considered an immediate admission of guilt and/or wrongdoing." He looked directly at Ron. "And Stoppable, I want it clear that you were only used as an example because of your unique situation."

"No problem, Coach," Ron replied. _Well, better get comfortable._

**…**  
**…**

Over at the Guardian Coliseum, word had evidently reached the ears of the squad about the search being conducted over at the stadium/field house.

"C'mon, Michelle, give us details," a few girls said excitedly.

The brunette freshman frowned. "Seriously, guys, all I know is what Mitchell just texted me. He said that the officers are simply checking lockers. They don't know what they're looking for, or who. Just that they received a tip that somebody was up to no good."

Emily Quartermaine smiled. "Well, at least we know of three who will come up clean: Mitchell, Danny, and of course, Ron."

"Naturally, Q," replied Kim. "Though I am kind of tweaked about this whole sitch. Ron and I had plans to go out on a date tonight since we couldn't get one this weekend because of the trip to Japan. But I guess that's now out the window, especially if they're going in reverse numerical order like Michelle said. And it's been sooooo long since we got to have a night to ourselves with no homework to worry about."

**…**  
**…**

The search seemed to drag on and on in Ron's mind. Of course, that may have been because he had been at the stadium since 1:15 that afternoon, and it was now pushing 6:10 PM.

_So much for our 6:30 reservations at the Blue Crab_, he thought grumpily.

As he watched the last of the 20's just finishing up and exiting the field house in their street clothes, the blonde wondered whether or not they were waiting for players to change before bringing in the next group. He turned to his locker neighbor, senior Jean-Luc Brissart.

"Hey, Jean-Luc, how many times have they done this before?"

The black-skinned French linebacker who wore #6 frowned. "Never while I've been here, Ron. And they've gotten tips like this before. Kind of makes me wonder if they already found something and are doing it this way to keep it under wraps so that the culprits don't know."

Vinnie, who wore #11, leaned in. "I know what you mean. If you ask me, this whole thing smells fishy."

Coach Tyler came over. "Next group: #14 Garry Caldwell, #12 Ricardé Giuseppe, #11 Vinnie James, and #9 Nate Highland. All of you head in."

As the called players stood and entered the field house, Jean-Luc smiled. "Looks like we're up next, Ron."

"Looks like," Ron replied with a smile.

**…**  
**…**

Kim grumbled as she sat out on the hood of the Sloth and watched 6:30 PM come and go. _I hope they catch whoever they're after_, she thought as she watched yet another group of players exit the field house already dressed in their street clothes. _And why are they letting them get dressed before they leave?_

At least it wasn't too cold today like it had been the past week or so. Like their hometown of Middleton, the city of Upperton, CO could often get chilly this time of year. But today, it was still in the mid-forties. Even if it had been below freezing and driving snow, however, Kim told herself she would have still waited for Ron. It was then she noticed the group of players currently coming out the front door of the building. Among them was Dack Daniels, and he had a strange grin on his face. If Kim hadn't been doing the world-saving bit for the past five years, she would have passed it off as merely some guy who had managed to avoid being detected—which in Dack's case might actually be true. But for some reason the red-head could tell there was more to the senior's smile than that. That smile on his face was one reminiscent of any villain she'd ever faced when their plans were going exactly as they believed they should be. In fact, slap a scar under his right eye and some light blue paint on his skin, and Kim felt sure Dack could have passed for an exact copy of Drakken when she found him in the control room at Bueno Nacho gloating over his apparent success.

_What are you up to, Dack?_ she thought with a worried glance at the field house behind him. _And why do I get the feeling it somehow involves Ron?_

**…**  
**…**

"Next group: #8 Wylie Kingston. #7 Ron Stoppable. #6 Jean-Luc Brissart. #5 Erik Fjordson," called Coach Tyler. "You guys are up."

Ron stood with the other three and headed in, trying to work the stiffness out of his legs. Unlike the others, he'd actually gotten a bit of a workout, and the build-up of lactic acid in his legs had caused a bit of soreness to settle in while they sat there. Inside, there was a set of three stations set up, each with a campus police officer running the show. First off Captain Raymond, an older man with a clean-cut white mustache, told them to remove their helmets, shoulder pads, and shoes and socks, which he then systematically searched before set everything aside. Then the locker was searched by Lieutenant Gant, a man similar in build to the Barkin brothers with red hair, with everything being pulled out and carefully searched. And finally a station was set up in the bathroom/shower area for a drug test, watched closely by Sergeant Cruise, who was clearly the rookie of the trio. And it was only after a player went in the cup that Captain Raymond instructed the next to remove the first of his equipment.

_So that's why this is taking so long_, Ron thought with a sigh.

Wylie Kingston's searches and test took a bit, since he evidently had a lot of things stuffed into his locker. Nothing that wasn't supposed to be there, but probably more than there should have been: the freshman quarterback even had a large flag from his home nation of Jamaica balled up in the storage space. However, there wasn't a thing wrong with the contents of the locker, so Wylie was allowed to pass the inspection. Then it was Ron's turn.

"Okay, Mr. Stoppable, you know the drill," Captain Raymond told him. "Remove everything but your T-shirt and pants."

Ron nodded, and did so, though he did ask if he could keep his silver "K+R" locket on, a request that the officer granted with a smile after Ron showed him the pictures of himself and Kim on the inside.

"So you're the guy who got Kim Possible to agree to marry him, huh?" Lieutenant Gant said with a grin. "I seriously hope you realize just how lucky you are to have her, son."

"Yes Sir, I do," Ron replied with a huge smile. "KP's one in a…well, just one of a kind."

Then he went to his locker, and opened it before standing back and letting the officer do his work. He grinned back at Jean-Luc, who was waiting next in line, but was puzzled by the look on the senior linebacker's face. Turning back towards the locker, he was shocked to see Lieutenant Gant frowning in what the young man could only describe as sheer disappointment…

"Care to explain these, Mr. Stoppable?" the officer said, removing a few items that Ron knew he had never put in the locker and laying them out on top of Wylie's locker.

Among the items removed were a rather large pocket knife with the "TP" logo on it, a bottle of 600mg steroid pills, and a large wad of cash. But perhaps the most surprising item that Lieutenant Gant removed was a pair of women's underwear that were clearly too large to belong to Kim. Ron, like everyone else in the room, stared at the items with a completely shocked look. However, whereas they all stared at the knife, drugs, and money, Ron was wracking his brain trying to figure out how the underwear could have possibly gotten in there.

"Ron, do you have any explanation for this?" Devereaux said with a frown.

Unfortunately, Ron was his own worst enemy as he sank down on Jean-Luc's locker without saying a word. The head coach nodded solemnly while he looked at the ground, and Sergeant Cruise came forward and placed a pair of handcuffs on Ron while Captain Raymond read the young man his rights. The other players looked on in shock, all except for the owner of the locker the blonde was sitting on.

"Coach," Jean-Luc interjected, "We all know this isn't right."

Devereaux placed a hand on the senior's shoulder. "I want to believe it too, Brissart, but the evidence says otherwise."

However, the Parisian-born young man refused to give up. "Look, Coach D., I've been here and I've seen Ron's locker every day. I would have seen if he were involved in something like this, I know it. Plus, I can tell you for sure that underwear doesn't belong to him, or to any girl he's been with. Kim wouldn't do that, and Ron wouldn't give up what he's got with her for anything."

The old war dog frowned, then smiled and whispered, "Go find Possible, Jean-Luc. If I know her, she's out in the parking lot waiting on Ron to get out of practice. Hurry. I'll try to buy him a few minutes." Then, as the senior left the locker room, Devereaux spoke up. "Wait, Officers. I need to get some information from you first before you take him. University policy and all that."

The two younger officers frowned, but Captain Raymond nodded. "He's right, men. University policy states that if a student is taken into custody while inside a building on campus, the arresting officers must sign the appropriate paperwork. And we have to sign it before we take the student out of the building. Keeps us and the department from getting sued if something happens."

**…**  
**…**

Out in the parking lot, Kim was becoming worried. By her calculations, it was taking around fifteen minutes between each group, and the group that had included Vinnie and Nate, which probably would have been right before Ron's group, had left nearly twenty-five minutes ago. She looked down for an instant to unbuckle her seatbelt when she heard a tapping on the window. Glancing up, she saw Jean-Luc Brissart tapping on the glass, a panicked look on his face. She quickly opened the door and undid her seatbelt.

"Hey, Jean-Luc. What's the sitch?"

"No time," he said urgently. "You need to come inside with me quickly and bring that device you always carry. Oh, and it'd probably be a good idea to contact your tech buddy while we go."

"Wade?" she said with a puzzled look as she checked her wrist Kimmunicator and grabbed the handheld as well. "Why would I need to contact him? What's going on here?"

The senior fixed her with urgent eyes as they began walking quickly. "You won't believe it unless you see it."

And he was right, as Kim could not believe her eyes when she saw her fiancé sitting in his coach's office with his hands handcuffed behind his back. As soon as she got the details on his problem, she quickly pressed the call button on her wrist Kimmunicator.

"Wade!" she said firmly. "We have a major sitch! Ron's about to be arrested!"

The tech genius nearly fell backwards, spraying the soda he'd been drinking like a sprinkler system. "What…what did you say?"

She quickly handed the handheld version of the Kimmunicator to Captain Raymond. "Can you please explain this to him? I want to make sure nothing's left out."

"That's fine, Miss Possible," the officer smiled.

While the white-haired U.P.D. Captain explained the situation, Kim took a look at the items. Her eyes fell first on the knife. There was something off, and it wasn't until she let her wrist Kimmunicator sit idle for a minute that she realized what it was. The Team Possible "TP" logo was colored the exact same as the "KP" logo had been if done right, with the "T" in green and the "P" in yellow, but the logo on the handle of the knife had the colors reversed! If this knife was Ron's, he'd made a pretty big error. She quickly pointed this out to the U.P.D. officers.

"I agree that's strange, Miss Possible, but it still leaves the question of the pills and the cash," replied Lieutenant Gant.

Kim put her hand to her chin, trying to think. Then she noticed something else when Sergeant Cruise picked up the bottle of pills to place them in an evidence bag.

"Umm, did anyone actually look in the bottle yet? Cause if those are 600 mg pills inside I'll shut down my website."

Sergeant Cruise looked at his superior, and Captain Raymond nodded. When the younger officer opened the bottle, he was shocked to find only a bunch of blue liquid-gel pills.

"She's…she's right," he stammered. "Cap, this smells like a set-up to me."

Captain Raymond nodded. "Agreed. Right now, the only things this young man is apparently guilty of is keeping a wad of cash in his locker and possibly cheating on his girlfriend."

That statement brought Ron out of his silence forcibly. "Are you CRAZY? KP would kill me if I even thought about doing that! Not to mention what I'd do to myself if I hurt her like that!"

The three officers laughed a bit. "Guess you're right about that, son," Lieutenant Gant replied as he released the handcuffs from around the young man's wrists.

Kim embraced Ron with a smile. "And you'd better remember that fact, Stoppable. I do happen to know the perfect counter for Monkey Kung Fu after all."

Ron grinned. "How could I even begin to entertain the idea of even considering the notion of possibly wanting to cheat on the most perfect, most badical woman on the planet?"

"Good answer," she replied as she kissed him.

Once they stepped out the door, however, the happiness of the moment was immediately lost as they were instantly set upon by a mob of frenzied paparazzi and reporters.

"Mr. Stoppable, it has been reported that University Police have placed you under arrest. What are you being charged with?"

"Mr. Stoppable, you have been implicated in the buying and selling of illegal substances. Is there any truth to this?

"Miss Possible, will you be staying with Ron considering what he's being charged with?"

Kim immediately placed herself between Ron and the mob, a look of fury on her face. "Ron hasn't been charged with anything, you vultures! I know you'd love nothing more than to get dirt on one of us, but you're not going to get it! Understand? Now leave us alone!"

She would have gone farther had she not felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Captain Raymond standing there.

"According to what Miss Possible here has uncovered, the tip that was given to the University Police Department appears to have been a set-up of Mr. Stoppable and nothing more. As was the tip all of you were most likely given about this young man's arrest. I am here to confirm that Ronald Eugene Stoppable is completely clear of any wrong-doing in this matter. Furthermore, any more harassment of these two young people on this campus shall be considered criminal stalking and be grounds for immediate arrest should they choose to report it as such."

"But what about freedom of the press?" called an all-too-familiar voice.

Kim and Ron scanned the crowd until their eyes fell on the mirror-style Aviators, slick suit, and oily hair of the current scourge of their lives, Willie Finkman. At the moment, Kim wanted nothing more than to pull of the hardest leaping roundhouse kick she could right at his head. And Ron looked like he wouldn't be far behind her.

"What's the matter, Weasel?" Ron fired off. "Can't get your jollies any other way than by making our lives miserable?"

"I only report the truth, Ron," Willie replied with a smirk.

"No," shot back Kim, "You report whatever story you think will bring the most viewers to your sick little show. Like that little episode of misquoting me a few weeks back."

Another smirk. "Ah, ah, ah. Miss Possible, what I reported was the truth, was it not?"

"You invaded our privacy, you jerk!" the red-head bristled. "And in doing so you put a bitter taste on what is supposed to be a happy time for us. But thanks to you, the whole thing is tainted!"

"Not my fault that you can't handle the press you ask for, Miss Possible."

"WE NEVER ASKED FOR IT!" she exploded. "AND AS FOR YOU, YOU HAVE NEVER ONCE EVEN BEGUN TO GIVE US THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THAT MAYBE WE'RE ONLY DOING THIS BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD TO US TO HELP PEOPLE! YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE NOTHING BUT A PAIR OF DELINQUENTS!"

Ron put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "KP, calm down. You're just giving him what he wants."

Kim had taken a breath to let out another torrent, but let it out in a loud, "URRRRRGGGGGHHHH!"

Captain Raymond, who had been surprised by the young woman's outburst, leaned over and whispered in Ron's ear as Kim stormed towards the Sloth, "God help you if you ever actually do hurt or cheat on that girl, young man."

Ron shook his head and smiled. "Something tells me even Yahweh won't be able to save me if I do."

* * *

Yori shivered in the cool mountain mid-morning air as she checked the grounds of the Yamanouchi School. It was just past 10:00 AM, and she had just recently taken over the new watch from Hirotaka. In order that neither of them were pushed too far or always during the day or night, they were pulling eight hour shifts. Unfortunately, it also meant that they were seeing each other much less. To the young kunoichi's surprise, Yori was finding she disliked that particular aspect of this new assignment. Without even realizing it, she had grown accustomed to being able to talk to Hirotaka whenever she felt like it.

As she walked between the younger students going through their exercises, she couldn't help but reminisce a little. And surprisingly, a good number of those memories focused on times she was training with the slightly older Hirotaka. One instance in particular stood out to her as she watched the ninja-in-training sparring. It was a little more than three years earlier. She herself had just turned fifteen a week earlier, while Hirotaka had just turned sixteen a month before that, and although the two of them had sparred many times she had yet to best him or force him to call a draw.

However, on that day her fellow ninja had appeared to be letting his normally cool confidence slip by the wayside, while she had just emerged from that awkward phase that all girls went through…

The sun had beat down as the two of the three best students in Yamanouchi had squared-off for the umpteenth time. The duels between Hirotaka Shioda and Yori Kimura had reached epic proportions on the school's gossip chain by this point, rivaling even those of Hirotaka and his best friend at the time, Fukushima Ishino. Although the girl had yet to win or break even with her sparring partner, that day there had appeared to be a new grace and elegance to her walk, something none of the young boys had failed to notice—including the reigning sparring champion of the Yamanouchi School, Hirotaka Shioda. As they had faced each other, he had seemed to be looking at her for the first time not as an opponent, but as a _female_ opponent.

"Are you sure you wish to humble yourself once more, Yori-chan?" he had said with his customary cockiness.

"One of these days I may surprise you, Hirotaka-san," she had replied, her determination written clearly yet softly on her face.

The duel had been surprisingly quick, ending with an astonishing flurry of kicks from female legs yet to find their true grace that caught the young man completely off guard and sending him to the training mat on his butt for the first time since their matches had started. As he sat there, he had uttered the phrase that now clung to her memory like a child who did not wish to leave his mother for his first day of school:

"Even when you bring the fierceness of the tiger, you still carry the grace of the Lily of the Fields."

The smile that had accompanied that statement had been burned into her mind, and she had always taken it as merely an expression of congratulations. But now she wondered if maybe there were more to it. Everyone at the school knew that Hirotaka Shioda had not truly opened his heart since the unfortunate passing of their fellow ninja, the beautiful Kiyomi, two years prior to that day. However, that day Yori had seen the brightness return to his eyes as he sat there on the mat, seeming to revel in his defeat.

Now, as the eighteen-year-old Yori Kimura looked at the sparring area, she couldn't help but smile. As her thoughts drifted, she happened to glance upwards towards the northeast corner of the wall surrounding the school. Normally, it would be a bad thing for a ninja who was supposed to be focused to be daydreaming, but this time it paid benefits as she saw a flash of black followed by a monkey tail! Immediately, Yori pulled a pebble out of her belt pouch and hurled it at an alarm gong. The atmosphere of the school immediately changed from relaxed training to high-alert guard as students scrambled to defensive positions. Yori herself ran for the corner where she had seen the intruder, and employed her ninjitsu skills to run up the corner to the top of the wall. A minute after she reached the top, Hirotaka was by her side, so that both of them saw the small band of simian warriors fleeing across the narrower chasm to the east of the school.

"It appears that Stoppable-san and Possible-chan were correct in their suspicions," observed Hirotaka. "It is obvious those monkey ninjas came here for Sensei."

Yori shook her head. "I do not believe so, Hirotaka-san. That party is too small to be a battle group and too large to be a spy or infiltration op. Something tells me they had another purpose for coming here."

* * *

Unfortunately for Kim and Ron, there were too many fingerprints on all the items planted in the young man's locker to pin down who exactly had set him up. And the phone call had been placed from a public phone, and not even Wade could track down who had made it. Kim of course had her suspicions, particularly concerning a certain dark-haired senior football player, but without hard evidence there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Although she did advise her fiancé on what she suspected.

Ron took the news as expected, with a calm look on his face but a bristling to his voice, his fingers digging hard into the arm of the couch in his and Felix's Unit. "I swear: if I could prove Dack was responsible for this mess, I'd unleash every bit of MMP I've got on him."

Kim sighed. "Ron, as much as he ferociously deserves it, you know that would cause trouble for both of us if you did that."

"Mantle of the hero, right?" he replied with a wry smile.

"Right," she said with a grin and a peck to his cheek. "Besides, we've got other problems on our plate at the moment. Especially if you consider our upcoming trip with your family up to Hartford, Connecticut this coming week."

"Yeah, I know," he said with a sigh. "I just hope my mom's family at least gives you at least a fair footing to start on, KP. Though I have to say I seriously doubt we'll be that fortunate. Particularly from Aunt Alma."

Kim smiled. "Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and my cooking skills will suddenly flourish under pressure."

Ron laughed. "If that happens, I'm definitely digging my foxhole for the Apocalypse."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she retorted as she popped him on the shoulder. "But seriously, I don't care what they throw at me. They could call me everything under the sun, and pick at every single flaw I've got until they make me crack, and I'll still want to marry you. I'll still want to become Mrs. Ronald Eugene Stoppable."

Ron smiled and pulled her into a kiss. "Glad to hear it. Cause no matter how much I try to prevent it, I can guarantee they're going to put you through the ringer."

"No big, Ronnie. Hey, at least I'm prepared for it."

Her fiancé sighed. "I hate to say it, KP, but nothing can prepare you for Thanksgiving with the Levinstein clan."

Kim smiled. "Hey, at least I'll have that paper for our S.P.E.A.R. class to distract me if things get too crazy. Which reminds me, you are working on yours, right? Because we both know how you are when it comes to large assignments."

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I still can't believe Katie assigned us a twenty-page paper on what we think it means to be a student of G.V.U. I mean, that's the kind of thing you can't go to a library and research. And even worse that she made it due the day we get back from Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, you are going to let me use your laptop to work on my paper and PowerPoint some during the break, right KP?"

"Of course, Ronnie," the red-head replied with a grin. "Just as long as you don't put it off until the last few days."

* * *

Dack collapsed on the ground on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. His assailant stood there, the wind whipping his blonde hair while his brown eyes were looking progressively harder than steel.

"You brain-dead idiot!" the young man admonished forcefully. "How could you possibly be stupid enough to substitute the actual steroid pills in the bottle for liquid gels? And while I'll admit the pocket knife was a nice touch, even a simpleton would know to make sure the logo was the right colors!"

Dack coughed, wiping the blood from his lip. "Hey, I didn't exactly have a lot of time to make the plant. That was the first and only time I've ever seen Stoppable's locker left unlocked. And that electronic lock his tech genius buddy gave him would be impossible to replace and even more of a challenge to crack."

A foot lashed up into Dack's side, removing the senior's air once more. "You'd just better be grateful they can't pin it on you, Mr. Daniels. You are continuing to make me question my decision to involve you in this. Every aspect of this operation except the part you are involved in has gone completely smoothly, yet I continue to be plagued by setbacks caused by your colossal incompetence. I begin to wonder if you truly want Possible at all."

Dack wheezed as he managed to rise up a little so that he was sitting on his heels. "I…I do…do want her. But I can't help it if they manage to get out of every situation I put them in. Even that play against Upperton where I made sure to cause damage to his arm didn't do anything."

The other young man smiled as he circled around his quarry. "Yes, I will admit playing on Stoppable's fear of letting Possible down was a stroke of brilliance worthy of even my cunning. And it did cause a rift between them, but not the kind of rift WEE is expecting us to cause."

Dack slowly rose to his feet. "Okay, just who is this 'We' character? Cause it's obvious you're not talking about some random group."

The blonde lashed out with a side kick, sending Dack slamming into the outside brick wall of his apartment building. "I told you before, Dack," he spat acidly, "information on the WEE is only on a need to know basis. Now, are you ready to proceed with my plan?"

Dack stood up slowly, but stayed bent over with his hands on his knees. "Yeah, I am. To be honest, I've been ready for a while. But you know this could implicate you as well."

The blonde smirked. "The only way I will be revealed is if you screw this up, Mr. Daniels. And if that happens," he snapped his fingers, "things for you will fall apart faster than you can blink."

* * *

Like most of the colleges around the country, Global Vanguard U.'s Thanksgiving break could almost be considered to be a first semester version of Spring Break without the wild partying that most students would have been engaging in during the regular one. Mostly thanks to Kim's prodding, she, Ron, and Rufus were ready to head down to Middleton to meet up with his family within ten minutes of the humans' respective practices letting out on Tuesday afternoon. Luckily for them, this happened to be one of the years that the Guardians football team did not have one of the big Thanksgiving Day games. In fact it just happened to be one of G.V.U.'s off weeks, meaning that both Coach Devereaux and Coach Williams had given their respective teams a few days off.

However, since they knew that things could get a bit harried at the Levinstein place, Kim and Ron agreed to not go into inactive status on the missions. They knew it might cause a problem, but they also figured it might provide a welcome distraction in things got a little out of hand. Their confidence in their decision was boosted about a hundred fold when they informed his parents of this Monday evening and both Gene and Jeanette Stoppable agreed it was a good idea and would provide an easy out should Kim and Ron happen to need it. As they drove down to Middleton, however, Ron kept flipping the radio.

"Ron, pick a station and leave it please," Kim said with a slight edge to her voice after nearly twenty minutes of the shuffling by the vehicle's driver

"Sorry, KP. Just nerves I guess."

Kim smiled and laced her fingers with his free hand. "Ronnie, it's going to be okay. They already know about our engagement, so it's not like they can do anything to prevent it. Besides, I meant what I said about wanting to marry you no matter how this goes."

"I know. I just…people have always been putting us down because you chose me, not the other way around. I've never seen this from the other side before."

Kim shook her head. "Not true, Ron. What about Halloween?"

Ron sighed. "That was different. Rachael just wanted what she couldn't have, and I knew she couldn't have it because I knew you already had my heart. But with this trip, I'm going to have go up against people who I've generally respected, and I know right now I'm probably going to have to spend the whole trip defending what I feel for you. I mean, if it were the press it'd be one thing, but this is my family. I may not like some of them, but even those I hate I have respect for simply because they're a part of my family."

Kim smiled. "So who besides Alma should I watch out for?"

The young man grimaced. "Unfortunately, the better question here would be, 'Who do you _not_ have to watch out for?', and that can sadly be summed up on the fingers of one hand."

"Okay," she replied. "So then who can I expect positive receptions from?"

Ron gently freed his hand from her grasp and counted off on his fingers. "The ones most likely to like you and not be prejudiced against you from the start are Big Daddy, Big Mama, Cousin Jordan (girl, by the way), Cousin Sam (also a girl), and Uncle Aaron. And maybe if we're really lucky some of Uncle Aaron's kids."

"Good, and who should I watch out for the most?"

"Everyone else, really, but particularly Aunt Alma, Aunt Shannon, and the whole of Aunt Margot and Uncle Jacob's family apart from Sam and Jordan," Ron replied with a bitter frown, and it was evidenced on his face that these were the people he disliked. "So I guess that makes about ten lost causes, although with Aunt Alma it's more like 'never had a ghost of a chance'."

Kim blinked as the number sank in. "Umm…Ron? Just how big of a gathering are we talking here?"

"Counting you and me and my family? Umm…well, that's five. Plus Aunt Margot, Uncle Jacob, and their eight kids equals to fifteen. Then Uncle Aaron, Aunt Shannon and their nine makes twenty-six. And then Aunt Alma, Big Mama, and Big Daddy. So that makes a grand total of twenty-nine. Maybe more if Cousin Axel, Cousin Jordan, and Cousin Lillian brought dates."

"Thirty-two?" blanched Kim. "Out of your grandparents having only four and one of them not having any? I take back what I said before about you wanting a bigger family, Ron. Compared to what your aunts and uncles have, what you have in mind is a relatively small family."

However, the bigger thing now racing through Kim's mind was the fear of potentially ruining Thanksgiving for a gathering of thirty-two people. Then she thought of something else, something she'd always taken for granted at her own family's Thanksgiving Day gatherings.

"Ron? Since your mom's family is Jewish, does that mean the turkey is the only meat on the table?"

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Afraid so, KP. No ham or pork products of any kind are allowed anywhere near the Levinstein house."

"Perfect," she groused. "Well, I'm Kim Possible, and I can do anything. And that means I can avoid ruining a turkey."

"_Turkeys_," Ron corrected. "Unless Big Daddy managed to get a super large bird this year, you're going to be in charge of a pair of gobblers. And they'll still be fairly large ones, I'll wager."

Kim took a deep breath. "Okay…no big…I will be able to handle this."

When they arrived at the Stoppable house, Kim's family was also packing up, as they were heading up to Montana to visit with Uncle Slim, Joss, and Nana Possible for the holiday. But before they left, her parents both gave their daughter good-luck hugs while Ron loaded up his and Kim's suitcases into his mom's SUV.

"You'll do fine, honey," her mother reassured her. "Just be yourself, and I'm sure they'll love you."

"Thanks, Mom. And I hope so."

"Ready, Kimberly?" Gene Stoppable called from the driver's seat of the SUV. "Two hours early for regular flights."

"Go," James said. "And good luck. Remember, Kimmie-cub: Anything is possible for a Possible."

"Thanks Daddy," Kim replied with a final hug before climbing into the middle seat of the Stoppable's vehicle with Ron and Hana.

The flight to Connecticut seemed to fly by in Kim's mind. It seemed they had no sooner left Denver that evening than the pilot was announcing the descent the next morning. There was a slight problem at baggage claim, what with the holiday rush, when a lady grabbed one of Kim's suitcases by mistake. And then another when Rufus, while attempting to keep from being jostled by the crowd by riding on Ron's shoulder, got knocked off by a guy swinging his skis around like Ron had done on their ninth grade ski trip. However, the suitcase matter was soon sorted (and Kim and Ron had both given out autographs to the lady's two excited daughters) and Rufus was safely recovered with relatively little wrong with him other than a slight headache from being knocked in the noggin by errant skis. Soon they were loading their bags into the SUV that Ron's parents had rented, and heading to his grandparents' house.

As it turned out, Benjamin "Big Daddy" Levinstein and Abigail "Big Mama" Levinstein didn't so much live in Hartford as in the outskirts of a suburb of it called West Hartford. The place was back off a country road surrounded on all sides by a "cathedral" of trees, and judging from the size of the house, it wasn't too much of a stretch for Kim to figure out that Big Daddy and Big Mama had done alright with their lives. According to Jean Stoppable, it was customary that the first of the Levinstein siblings to arrive with their family would get to stay in the house, and not have to go find a hotel. And since the rest of the families weren't due to start arriving until that afternoon, this time the "winners" would be the Stoppable clan plus Kim. According to Ron, however, that would also mean no escaping to the hotel to get away from everyone. This applied particularly to Aunt Alma, who Kim had learned earlier was a spinster with no husband or family who had moved back in with Big Daddy and Big Mama when they started needing assistance around the house. As Gene pulled the vehicle off the road onto the dirt path leading through the trees and the house started coming into foreboding view, Kim took a deep breath.

_Well, Possible, here we go._

* * *

a/n

As always, reviews and comments are always welcome! Who knows, sometimes a suggestion from a review may end up in a story-it has happened before. ;)


	21. Chapter 21

A/N

Chapter 21 is up and running!

Kim faces her greatest challenge yet: meeting the family of Ron's mother!

From meeting Aunt Alma to the encounters with Big Mama and Big Daddy Levinstein, and the rest of the Levinstein family, Kim's got her work cut out for her.

And unfortunately, there are more than a few hiccups to deal with along the way, from a stow-away item to an unfortunate sitch.

At least she's got Ron to support her.

But not even he can help Kim when she faces the ultimate test of her "I can do anything" motto: cooking _two _turkeys all by herself!

Meanwhile, Sheila's got some things on her mind, and only Andy can help her work through them.

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

As it turned out, Benjamin "Big Daddy" Levinstein and Abigail "Big Mama" Levinstein didn't so much live in Hartford as in the outskirts of a suburb of it called West Hartford. The place was back off a country road surrounded on all sides by a "cathedral" of trees, and judging from the size of the house, it wasn't too much of a stretch for Kim to figure out that Big Daddy and Big Mama had done alright with their lives. According to Jean Stoppable, it was customary that the first of the Levinstein siblings to arrive with their family would get to stay in the house, and not have to go find a hotel. And since the rest of the families weren't due to start arriving until that afternoon, this time the "winners" would be the Stoppable clan plus Kim. According to Ron, however, that would also mean no escaping to the hotel to get away from everyone. This applied particularly to Aunt Alma, who Kim had learned earlier was a spinster with no husband or family who had moved back in with Big Daddy and Big Mama when they started needing assistance around the house. As Gene pulled the vehicle off the road onto the dirt path leading through the trees and the house started coming into foreboding view, Kim took a deep breath.

_Well, Possible, here we go._

The house itself looked like it could use some work, particularly in the area of the front porch (and Kim suspected the back as well). The boards making up the porch looked like they were still in very decent condition, but they were also worn and splintery. The house itself could probably use a new coat of paint or two, but the way it had been worn down gave the place more of an air of "filled with years of love" than a worn-out feeling. Really, the place looked like what it was—a nice home that might have looked better if a younger couple were living there instead of grandparents enjoying their golden years. However, there was one noticeable difference from her grandparents' homes that Kim took note of almost immediately.

Unlike the Possibles' arrival in Biloxi, there was no one outside to greet the Stoppables and Kim as they pulled up to the house. In fact, the only indication that there was even anyone home was the presence of three vehicles: a somewhat aged silver '01 Chevy Silverado pickup with a slight dent in the side, a navy blue '05 Dodge Magnum, and a dark green '03 Chrysler PT Cruiser. At the sight of the PT Cruiser, Kim saw Ron's face settle into probably the deepest scowl of dissatisfaction and annoyed disappointment that she'd ever seen cross her fiancé's normally easy-going face.

"Looks like Aunt Alma's hasn't left for work yet this morning," he grumbled. "Maybe we ought to come back later when she's away."

Gene shook his head, his trademark grin never leaving his face for an instant. "Ronald, you know that if she heard we did that it would only make her that much more cross and harder to deal with. And besides, she and your grandparents are already expecting us to be arriving this morning."

Ron sighed and frowned. "Alright, but if she starts tearing into either Kim or Hana the moment she sees them, I can't guarantee I'll keep quiet about it."

Kim smiled sympathetically as she reached around Hana's car-seat to place her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Ron, you will because you can. If you can stand there and smile while Bonnie, Willie, or someone else puts us down, I know you can do the same around your Aunt."

Jeanette nodded her agreement. "She's right, Ronnie. I know Aunt Alma can be a pain, but you know it impresses Big Daddy and Big Mama when you just let her have her say while smiling at her." She turned to Kim. "And Kimberly, I should warn you now. Though I'm sure you already know this from Ron telling you, Aunt Alma doesn't approve of anyone who doesn't follow Jewish faith. The way she put Ron's father down for simply being Reform Jewish was…let's just say she pressed things a lot farther than normal. And I hate to say it, but the moment she realizes who you are, she might make that tirade look like a whisper."

Kim shook her head. "Don't worry, Mrs. S. I've gotten pretty good at just letting people talk."

Ron's mom shrugged. "I hope so, dear, because I get the feeling you're going to be putting those skills to good use this week."

With that they exited and headed up the partially creaking, dark brown wooden steps to the front deck. The moment they entered the house, Kim got a full blast of just what Ron and his family had been warning her about as a loud shriek came at them from the dining room on their right.

"What on earth is that hellfire-headed _shiksa_ doing here?"

Kim turned to see a woman sitting at a large table, and felt all her previous ideas of imposing fly straight out the window even faster than Motor Ed's modified Kepler dragster. The woman had blonde hair that was slowly shifting to white, and wore round-lens glasses on the end of a long, hook-style nose. She was dressed in a light-blue dress with darker blue, four-petal star-flowers scattered around it in a diagonal pattern. But what really set the hairs on the back of Kim's neck to standing was the hardened look as those brown eyes appeared to bore straight though her own chest. She was just thankful that she and Ron had decided to join hands for mutual support before entering, as she drew on his strength and could feel him drawing on hers.

"Jeanette, how could you defile this house by bringing _her_ here?" the woman demanded none too quietly as she pointed a bony and menacing finger at Kim. "Isn't it shameful enough for this family that you let your son date her?"

Although Jean Stoppable stance wasn't firm against her older sister's onslaught, it didn't falter either. "She is special to my son, Alma. That's how. And don't think I'm about to let you pull that 'older sister' garbage on me."

"Hah!" the older woman snapped. "Like I need that excuse any more. Or haven't you heard the news, Jeanette? Oh, that's right, you haven't. Well, I was going to wait until the rest of the family got here, but why not put you back in your place now? Mama has decided to pass on the mantle of family matron. And guess who she's passing it to."

"That doesn't matter, Alma," Jean replied coolly. "Whether you like it or not, Ronald loves Kimberly and she will be joining this family."

"Maybe she's joining _your_ family, Jeanette. After all, you already defiled your branch by marrying someone who doesn't follow true Jewish faith and traditions. And then letting your son break kosher and consume all of that unclean food. It really is shameful, little sister." A quick glance at Gene, who was carrying Hana in his arms, seemed to send a fresh energy to the barbs. "And you'd better not be about to add to your numerous sins by telling me that that little heathen-eyed child is the daughter you adopted. I can tell right now she's not from this country, or from the homeland."

Kim could feel Ron's grip tighten on her own, and as much as she wanted to say something to this obviously zealot-minded woman, she could tell her normally calm and relaxed fiancé wanted to probably even more. If it were possible, she laced her fingers with his even tighter than they had been. He looked at her with a smile and nodded, showing he understood. However, that smile disappeared the moment the eye-contact was broken.

"And what's this?" Aunt Alma fired off again with a hard look in her eyes. "Secret signals between your son and this…this…heavens I don't even know what to call her other than what she is…a _shiksa_."

Jean Stoppable bristled. "That is ENOUGH, Alma! To answer your questions, yes, this is our new daughter, Hana Stoppable. And no, that is not a secret signal between Ronald and Kimberly. If anything, it's a reassurance between the two of them that they aren't going to respond to hypocritical and blind criticisms of themselves or their relationship."

Kim had to admit she was a little impressed that Ron's mother had read the look between her and Ron so accurately. And regardless of what Aunt Alma said, the red-head kept smiling. Or at least she did until the elder Levinstein sibling sent out her next barb…

"Well, I certainly hope she can cook, Jeanette. Or have you forgotten about the tradition around here?"

The smile on Kim's face faltered a bit, a look that Aunt Alma unfortunately did not fail to notice.

"She seems nervous about that prospect. As well she should be, as it determines so much about this situation. And for your information, she has _two very large birds_ that she alone will be responsible for. Big Daddy managed to snag a pair of eighteen-pounders from the local turkey farm, and earlier this morning he killed, plucked, skinned, and gutted them according to kosher tradition. They await her attentions beginning tomorrow morning, and we shall see if she is truly worthy of the chance to join this family. And she shall have no help from you, Ronald, in preparing them. A woman's place of honor is in the kitchen, and the man will stay out if he is respectful."

"KP will do just fine," declared Ron with a confidence Kim wished she felt herself.

"We shall see, Ronald Eugene," his aunt said with an acerbic smile as she turned to go. "We shall see."

"That will be quite enough of that, Alma," called a warm female voice that sounded to Kim like it came from the opposite end of the welcoming spectrum. "Please go tend the flowers before you leave for work."

"Yes, Mother," Aunt Alma called as she turned back into the kitchen, casting a smirking eye at her nephew's fiancée as she did.

The Stoppable's and Kim turned to see an elderly woman descending the stairs. Had it not been for the pleasant smile, eyes, and similar build, the red-head wouldn't have known the woman was related to Ron's mom, as their faces looked practically nothing alike. The mood of the room also seemed to change as the woman entered and Aunt Alma left to tend the plants.

"Big Mama!" Ron exclaimed, letting go of Kim's hand to rush forward and hug his grandmother. It was obvious to Kim that while Ron's relationship with the majority of his mother's family may have been strained, the hostility certainly did not apply to this obviously caring woman.

"Ronald, it's been too long," the old woman remarked as she wrapped him in a large hug. "Last time I saw you it was nearly two years ago. And I'm guessing this lovely young woman you've brought with you is the famous Kimberly I've heard so much about?"

"Oh, right," the young man replied. "Big Mama, this is Kimberly Anne Possible, my fiancée. KP, this is my grandmother, Abigail Levinstein. But everyone just calls her 'Big Mama'."

Kim smiled and extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Levinstein."

The Levinstein matron politely knocked the hand away and pulled Kim into an unexpected hug that reminded the red-head of the ones she often received from Nana Possible. "No need to be formal, dearie. And you can call me 'Big Mama' just like Ronald does. Just don't abbreviate it."

Kim smiled as she was released from the generous hug. "Thank you, Ma'am."

Big Mama shook her head. "'Big Mama', dear. I'm not old enough to be a 'Ma'am' yet," she said with a laugh. "Now, where is the new granddaughter I've yet to meet?"

"Here she is," Gene replied as he brought Hana forward. "Mother, this is Hana."

"Hey there, cutie," Big Mama replied with a smile as she reached forward to hug the little girl.

Hana immediately latched onto the older woman. "Gra'ma," she cooed happily.

"Big Mama, Hana," the woman said with a smile. "I'm too young to be known by Grandma."

"Face it, Abby," a male voice called from the living room off to their left, "you've been a grandmother since Jacob and Margot had Axel twenty-two years ago."

Kim peered into the room and saw at a glance exactly where Ron got his goofy grin. Attached to that grin was a man who looked a lot like she imagined Ron might look in a few years, minus the normal-size ears. But then her eyes took in his arms, and she saw something that made her voice suddenly very hard to find: a serial number tattooed on his arm.

"Ron, was he…," she whispered gingerly. "Was your grandfather…?"

"Was I what, young lady?" the old man said with a twinkling of his chocolate brown eyes. "Go ahead, ask."

Ron nodded supportively, and Kim swallowed hard.

"Were…were you in Germany during…"

"During World War II?" he supplied with a genuine smile. "Yeah, I was. And yes, I was in one of the camps. My family lived in Poland, and we got shipped out when I wasn't much older than you and Ronald. And so far as I know I'm the only one who made it out. Came here to start over when one of the American groups came through and set us free. Think I might have been skinnier than you when that happened, but it takes more than a few barb wire fences and some smart-mouth guards with no respect for human life to keep Ol' Benjamin Levinstein down. They tried to break my mind, heart, and spirit in that place, but it's impossible to break something when you don't first understand it."

Kim smiled. Right away, she could see the relation in personalities between this man and his grandson. She was about to say something when a loud car horn started blaring from out front. As she and the Stoppables turned to look, the red-head caught a glimpse of Ron's face. She noticed him seeming to offer up a silent prayer of prevention, but she could already tell by the look on his face he knew it would do no good. She reached for his hand and held it comfortingly, hoping to offer him some of her strength to face what he obviously didn't want to.

The next moment, a large, plump woman with blonde hair came barreling through the door. "Hah! We made it first!" she declared much louder than normal as she set a suitcase on the floor just inside the door.

Big Daddy shook his head. "Sorry, Margot, but Jeannie beat you to it."

All at once the smile dropped from the woman's face. "She most certainly did not! Their bags are still in their vehicle. Jacob and I stay here while _they_ have to go to a motel!"

Big Mama also shook her head, still holding Hana on her hip. "Margot, that's not how it works in my house and you know it. Eugene and Jeanette are here first, so they are the ones who will stay here with us."

Aunt Margot's face got red, and she looked like a balloon about to burst—which she did in the form of a high-pitched shriek. "JACOB!"

A skinny man, who also possessed blonde hair that was beginning to thin and who Kim immediately took for Uncle Jacob, followed the plump woman through the door. "I told you earlier, Margot, that there was no way we were going to beat my sister and her family here. Jeanette plans these things too well."

"Nice to see you too, Jake," Jean said with a smile as she hugged her brother.

"His name is _Jacob_," Aunt Margot bit at her husband's sister. "And by rights, the claim is ours. We have our stuff here first, so we get to stay here."

The next moment, a fairly large group of kids came along after the two adults. Well, most of them were kids—one or two looked actually older than either Kim or Ron. Kim was about to step forward and introduce herself when she realized Ron wasn't letting go of her hand. She turned a questioning eye towards him, and he gave her a barely perceptible shake of his head.

"Not yet," he mouthed silently.

"Where are Axel, Jordan, and Sam?" commented Gene with a smile.

"Axel and his wife Adrian will be here this evening, Eugene, while Jordan and _Samantha_ will be along shortly," Aunt Margot commented a little more harshly than necessary. "They had to stop and pick up _Samantha's_ boyfriend from the airport."

_Thirty-one_, thought Kim.

"And also pick up Jordan's boyfriend," Uncle Jacob added with a smile. "And from what we have been told, Axel and Adrian have a big announcement they want to make to everyone."

_Thirty-two,_ Kim counted in her head with a mental grimace.

Jean grinned. "Well, Ronald has a big announcement to make as well, Jacob."

Aunt Margot's eyes seemed to focus just at that moment directly on Kim. "_Her_," she hissed before turning to her husband and whispering none too softly, "See, Jacob, I told you they'd let him bring _that girl_ to this thing."

Uncle Jacob's reply was more politely soft, but the words were still audible and full of sting. "I know, Margie, but it's their choice whether or not to let him be with her, regardless of how much the rest of us disapprove."

Kim felt Ron's grip on her hand get tighter and looser at the same time.

"Aunt Margot, Uncle Jacob, I'd like you to meet Kimberly."

At that moment, a young woman who looked completely out of place with bright red hair cut in a half-bob style and wearing a fringed, brown leather jacket came in. And not just regular red like Kim's. No, the red of this girl's hair reminded Kim distinctly of the shade found on fresh, ripe strawberries or on a brightly colored American flag.

"No way!" she exclaimed before sticking her head out the door and yelling, "Hey, Sam, he finally brought her!"

"Brought who, Jordan?" replied the young woman who entered.

This girl wore faded out jeans and a black tank top, and had on blue-tinted, square-lens sunglasses. Combined with the long, straight style she wore her blonde hair in, it gave her a very artsy look. She also carried a sketchbook under her arm, and from the way she was carrying the book and its well-worn condition, Kim suspected the young woman very rarely if ever went anywhere without it being at least somewhere close by. Upon seeing Kim, her reaction was the same as the other girl's had been.

"No way! Man, the girls back at SCAD are gonna flip when they hear I got to have Thanksgiving with the Kim Possible!"

"Hey, what am I, chopped manna?" Ron replied with a joking injury to his voice.

Sam grinned as she came forward to hug her cousin. "Hey, don't take it hard, Ronald Duck. Everyone already knows I'm related to you. Which reminds me: next time you plan on saving the world from aliens, please tell me so I can be prepared for the other girls bombarding me with requests for your number."

Kim couldn't resist a giggle at the nickname, and knew she'd have to get the story on that one before they left.

"Aww man, c'mon Sammy," the young man complained. "When are you gonna stop calling me that? I haven't walked that way since before I turned four."

"Sorry, Ducky," his cousin replied with a teasing smile. "If by some miracle you somehow managed to suddenly become the most coordinated person on the planet, I'd still call you that."

A loud clearing of the throat instantly silenced the revelry that was developing.

"Unlike _some_ of us," Aunt Alma intoned none to politely with an especially sharp eye at Kim, "_I_ still have to go to work today. And Ronald Eugene, you'd better keep that _girl_ under control while you're here."

"Oh, shove a sock in it, Aunt Alma," Jordan remarked with a flip of her cherry-red hair as the woman turned to leave. "She's done nothing but good things with her life."

"But you, Jordan Renée Levinstein, just earned yourself a session of cleaning and polishing the dishes tonight with your disrespectful mouth," Aunt Margot answered commandingly.

Jordan grumbled but said no more. Scowling but apparently satisfied, Aunt Alma left while Aunt Margot turned her gaze back towards Jean.

"Jeannie, surely you will agree with me that it would make much more sense for you and your family to go get a hotel while we stay here. After all, you know Alma will be all over the _shiksa_ if you stay here. Especially with how much trouble her mere presence is going to cause among the family."

Kim saw the straw land, and knew instantly that the camel's back had been broken when Ron stood up taller than he had been.

"Aunt Margot, stop talking about Kim as if she weren't here," he challenged defiantly. "If you've got something to say, tell us here and now."

The look his aunt gave him made it look as though she thought he'd lost his mind. "And just where do you get the _chutzpah_ to tell me how to act, young man? Hmm?" she asked with a challenging lean.

Gene placed his hand comfortingly on Ron's shoulder. "Son, now isn't the time for this."

Ron frowned at his father. "Dad, this isn't right and you know it. Not to mention they won't stop calling Kim that word."

"Its okay, Ron, really" Kim added. "And your dad's right—we're not here to make trouble. We're here to have a nice gathering with your family."

"You stay out of this, _missy_!" Aunt Margot admonished venomously. "If Ronald were my son, I wouldn't let him within a mile of some _girl_ who cavorts all over the world picking fights with freaks and then _lies_ when she says she's just a normal teenager. You, my dear, are nothing short of an unwanted disruption that should never have been allowed in my nephew's life."

Kim wanted to say something in retort in the worst way, and she could tell Ron wanted to as well, but they could both sense the woman baiting them and wisely held their tongues.

"That will be quite enough of that," declared Big Daddy. "The normal rule stays in place, Margot. Jeanette and Eugene arrived first, so you and your family will have to find another place to stay."

"Yes, Benjamin," Margot agreed with a politeness and niceness so fake Kim felt she could feel the falsehood hanging thickly in the air.

As the woman and her brood exited the house, Jordan and Sam stepped forward. "Uhh, Big Daddy, could the two of us and our boyfriends stay here as well?" Sam said with a smile. "We'd rather not spend this whole time getting harassed by Mom about how we're living at college."

"Ask your Aunt," he replied with a smile and a polite gesture of passing.

"It shouldn't be a problem," Jean replied. "After all, we only need three of the extra rooms, so there are two left over. I don't see a problem with the two of you taking them."

Big Mama smiled, finally handing Hana back to Jean. "But only as long as it's the two of you girls in one room and the two gentlemen in the other. I'll not have any unwed beds being shared in my house."

"Yes, Big Mama," the two intoned together, and Kim couldn't help but notice the slight twinge of disappointment in their voices.

As the day progressed, Kim got to know the layout of the rest of the house (all except for the kitchen from which she was currently barred by Aunt Alma and Aunt Margot), as well as meeting the boyfriends of Jordan and Sam. Charlie was a senior at SCAD with Sam who was a junior, while Fletcher owned a small bookstore near NYU where Jordan was working on her masters in Criminal Science. She was actually talking to the latter when another family came in, and judging by the similar build between Jean Stoppable and the woman, Kim could only assume this was Aunt Shannon and her husband Aaron Rosenberg. And unfortunately, Ron's assessment of their reception of her was pretty much spot on.

"Ronald, how could you possibly think to bring that _disruption_ into your grandparents' home?" Aunt Shannon admonished him none too gently. "Have you no respect for your beliefs?"

"Honey, Ronald has the right to date and marry whomever he chooses," Uncle Aaron chided her gently. "As long as they love each other, who are you to protest against it? I for one am glad he found himself a young woman so focused on doing good in this world. Yahweh knows we could use more young people like her in this world."

Their children were a mixed bag, with four of the nine liking Kim, three disliking, and two not really caring one way or the other—although the two not caring may have had to do with the fact that the twin girls were just barely six. But what drew Kim's attention the most was that Cousin Lillian _and_ Cousin Daniel had both brought dates. That brought the grand total up to thirty-five potentially ruined Thanksgiving dinners if she was unable to get her cooking woes under control.

"Ron, how am I gonna handle two eighteen-pound birds for thirty-five people?" she said as they sat on the back porch deck that evening gazing out at the woods behind the house, their feet dangling off the edge and still a good two and a half feet off the ground. "I mean, you and I both know I'm no Cat Cora or Bobby Flay. If you judge me solely on my cooking prowess, I'm not even sure I'm worthy enough to mention their names."

Ron put his arm comfortingly around her shoulder. "Just remember what I told you, KP. Just make sure you baste them first, and remember that it's always better to cook longer at a lower temperature than to cook it too high too quickly. And besides, Mom will be in there to help you, as will Jordan and Sam."

"Yeah, if you're aunts give them a chance to," she replied glumly. "I could swear I heard your Aunt Alma and Aunt Margot talking earlier about the best way to make sure I screw this whole sitch up. And if it weren't for your Uncle Aaron, I'm pretty sure your Aunt Shannon would have been in on it as well."

Ron gulped. "Uh, KP, should I maybe notify the local hazmat for tomorrow then? Cause with your problems in the kitchen and their scheming…"

"Oh _ha ha_," she groused with a half-smile as she smacked him on the arm none too gently.

"Oww," he complained. "KP, that one kind of hurt."

"Serves you right," Kim half grumbled, half joked. "'Call the local hazmat,' indeed. I may have trouble with most kitchen appliances, but at least I can make the stuff I cook edible. And if you make one joke about the 'definition of edible', Stoppable, you can get used to cold lips for the rest of this trip."

Ron sighed and smiled. "You're right, KP. I should be helping you boost your confidence instead of making jokes. Besides, Big Daddy and Big Mama seem to like you, which were really the only two opinions I cared about."

"Apology accepted," Kim replied with a smile, and moved over to cuddle closer with her fiancé, sliding herself on the wood instead of picking herself up and scooting. Unfortunately, she failed to take into account the state of the planks that made up the back porch deck when she did this…

**…**  
**…**

Gene, Uncle Aaron, Uncle Jacob, Cousin Axel and Big Daddy were sitting in the living room discussing the big football games that were to occur the next day when Ron came bolting into the room, a look of panic on his face.

"Dad, where's Mom?" he intoned urgently

"Upstairs talking to your Aunt Shannon and Big Mama, I believe. Why, Son? What's wrong?"

Ron cringed and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck nervously. "Remember when I was little and you warned me not to run my hand on the wooden rails whenever we came here?"

Gene smiled. "Ronald, a few splinters in the hand isn't a good reason to go find your mother," he replied.

However, the young man was already darting up the stairs in search of his mom. Gene was confused until he saw Rufus wondering into the room, a look of pity and a grimace on his face. He picked up the mole rat gently and held him sitting in his palm much like his son often did.

"Rufus, where were Kim and Ron just now?"

"Hrk. Back porch," Rufus chittered sadly.

"And what were they doing?"

"Sitting," the mole rat replied sympathetically yet dolefully.

"Oh dear," Gene replied with a frown as the sitch that his son and Kim were facing made itself clear in his mind.

**…**  
**…**

Kim had never felt more embarrassed in her life as she lay face down on her stomach on the bed while Ron's mother used a pair of tweezers to remove what felt like the hundredth splinter from the young woman's butt. Out in the hallway, the laughter that had started when the family found out what had happened to the red-head had still not stopped. If anything, it kept getting louder.

"Glad they're getting good mileage out of this," Kim quipped as she winced while another splinter was pulled from her backside.

Jean smiled sympathetically. "Well, look at the bright side, Kimberly. At least it got them to stop putting you down for a bit."

Another wince. "Not exactly the way I would have chosen to do it, Mrs. S."

Ron's mother shrugged. "True, but just imagine if you'd been wearing one of your lighter capris instead of these heavier ones."

"Would have been better if I'd chosen the jeans," the young woman remarked. "So how long do you think the nickname will stick around?"

Jean stifled a giggle quickly. "Well…let's just say that Ronnie's nickname of 'Ducky' came about because of a…an incident during a trip to the zoo here in town when he was about a month away from turning five. It actually happened just a few weeks before we officially moved to Middleton, in fact, just before the two of you met on your first day of Pre-K."

"Great," grumbled Kim as she winced again while another sliver was pulled. "So I can expect this to last for at least fourteen years."

Out in the hall, she could hear Ron nervously waiting on the final prognosis from his mother. And beyond his heavy footsteps, Kim could hear the sounds of the younger members of the Levinstein extended family turning their new nickname for their cousin's fiancée into a little jingle.

_This is sooooo not the impression I was hoping to make this week_, she thought as she buried her already flaming face in the pillow while Ron's mother continued tending to her.

**…**  
**…**

Ron paced outside the door, hoping against hope that Kim couldn't hear the chants his younger cousins had started. While he had to keep himself from laughing at their inventiveness, he knew that while Kim found the nickname horrifying, the chant would be worse. He was halfway tempted to go to where they were and tell them to knock it off, but he knew his aunts would never approve of that. Unfortunately, all Ron could do was pray she couldn't hear it through the door. But of course with the cousins being as loud as they were, that was very unlikely, particularly with Kim's normally exceptional hearing…

* * *

Sheila Godfrey smiled as she walked through a Go City supermarket, leaning on the shopping cart to give relief to the aching back and tired feet her pregnancy continued to plague her with. To be completely honest, this would be the first Thanksgiving she'd been able to celebrate in a family-type setting since she'd left Team Go to pursue the dark side of the tracks that had been calling to her. It wasn't that Andy hadn't thought to celebrate the holiday; on the contrary he had insisted on never pulling anything on that particular holiday. And any scheme in progress was put on immediate hold until after the pumpkin pie was eaten and the post-feast nap was taken.

However, for Sheila, going through a buffet-style line for the traditional turkey, dressing, and other foods had never felt like a real Thanksgiving, especially when the pumpkin pie was store bought and the whipped cream on top of it came out of a spray can. And eating it surrounded by burly henchman (most of whom she didn't know from Adam) had never felt particularly celebratory in nature. No matter how often or how hard she had tried, celebrating a meal that promoted thankfulness like that had never felt quite right. And for reasons she couldn't explain, she had never known why it didn't feel right…

At least, she hadn't until this year. This year Sheila not only had people close to her to celebrate the holiday with, she actually had a reason to be thankful. Well, several reasons really. However, as she walked through the aisles with Andy by her side, she knew there was still something that was going to be missing, something that had been missing for going on thirteen years now. And unfortunately, the chance was running out to locate them in time for the big reason she really wanted to find them.

She turned to the blue-skinned man whose ring she now wore on her left hand, a frown on her face. "Andy, what are we going to do if we can't find my parents before February?"

"We will, Sheila," he reassured her. "Wade Load tells me he almost has the location pinned down enough to send in Team Possible to find them."

"But what if we don't?" she countered with a bit of her old snarkiness as she grabbed a few yams from the produce section. "I mean, I want my parents to be present at my wedding, Andy. I want them to see me get married, to you."

He smiled as he grabbed a bag of potatoes. "Nnnngg…Sheila, that's not something I can really help you decide. Do you think this'll be enough?"

"Better grab two. Hector eats mashed potatoes like nobody's business, and the twins aren't far behind him in their cravings for them. And what do you mean that's not something you can help me decide. It's your wedding too, Andy Lipsky." A faint glow began to show itself behind her eyes.

He wrapped one supporting arm around her shoulders and placed the other hand on her very pregnant belly. "I just mean that I want to marry you, Sheila. And it doesn't really matter to me whether it happens before or after our boys are born."

The glow instantly evaporated, but the attitude remained. "But if you had to pick. What if my previous self were holding a lighted-up fist an inch away from your face, a smirk on her face, and she was ready to blast you if you didn't answer?"

Andy smiled. "Then I'd say…'before', I think. But mainly because I know that's what you really want."

Sheila sighed, knowing it was the best she was going to get out of him right now. "Alright, fine. What's next on the list?"

* * *

The next morning, Kim woke with a wince. Ron's mother had given her some ointment to apply to her backside to ease the pain of the rickety timbers of the back deck using the young woman's rear cheeks like a pincushion, but it still hadn't been a restful night's sleep by any means. And unfortunately, today was Thanksgiving Day—or in terms of Kim and her making a good impression on this side of Ron's family, this was crunch time. And despite her numerous successes at foiling the plots of evil, she felt she had never faced a more important and dire sitch. She knew Ron fully stood by what he'd said about wanting to be with her regardless of what his family said, but for some reason she found herself really wanting to impress these people who had most likely already made up their minds to be negative towards her.

Considering the injury she'd sustained the night before, she decided to pass on her morning run. She grabbed her Kimmunicator and buzzed Ron's, but he was either still asleep or had left the device on the nightstand in the guestroom he was using. Shaking her head with a smile, she sent him a message informing him of her intentions that morning, and grabbed a set of clothes to head for the shower. However, before she opened the door to the room she was using she looked down, and it was a good thing to—had she opened the door she would have been wandering around in a camisole sleep-top and her underwear! Taking a deep breath for focus, she weighed her options and finally decided to slip on a pair of her more modest pajamas before continuing to the shower. Inside she had to be careful to keep the water from stinging her rear, although she probably didn't helped matters with all the scrubbing she gave the area to make sure none of the splinter-holes would get infected. Sitting down that day wasn't going to be a fun experience.

Sighing, she gently toweled herself off and put on the clothes she had brought in the bathroom with her. However, looking in the mirror as she brushed out her hair, she wondered if maybe it might help if she were to put on something nicer than a t-shirt, especially considering the fact that she had only been dressed in her normal t-shirt and capris the day before. However, she had brought only two skirts/dresses with her on this trip, and intended one to be worn when she accompanied Ron and his family to Temple that Saturday. The other she could put on now, but knowing her previous experiences in the kitchen, it was very likely that she'd end up covered in something. And she could always change before they ate. So it basically came down to either making a good impression now and taking the chance of ruining her outfit with food mess, or wait until later to make the good impression.

She tossed the decision back and forth in her mind several times, and still couldn't decide. It was then that she heard a knock on the door.

"KP, you in there?" Ron called, his voice sounding off for some reason.

"Out in a second, Ron," she answered.

Ron knocked again. "Uh, KP, we kind of have a situation here," he insisted with an urgent edge to his voice.

She opened the door to find him nervously holding up a certain balled-up item, one that had been modified from the original outfit seen on the show it came from. Kim's eyes went wide as she grabbed the article, pulling him in the bathroom and shutting the door with a panicked look on her face.

"Ron, what were you thinking bringing this? If your Aunt Alma sees this, or if even your mom sees it, any chance I've got of making a good impression while fly straight out the window!"

"I know," he said with a panic matching her own. "I must have grabbed it accidentally when I was packing the other night. Rufus was the one who pulled it out this morning, and I knew I had to warn you."

"By parading it around the house?" she replied in disbelief. "Ron, I made this Ferret Girl costume specifically for us to keep between us in _intimate_ situations. What if one of your younger cousins had seen you carrying it?"

Ron hung his head, the idea apparently not even having registered. "Aww man, I didn't even think about that. What are we gonna do?"

Kim thrust the outfit back at him. "First of all, you have to get this back to your room and stuff it in the deepest part of your suitcase. I really hate to say this, but it will look a lot worse if I'm the one caught with it. Then, have Rufus guard the suitcase until we can figure out what to do."

Ron nodded. "Okay."

He quickly slipped the costume under his shirt and slipped out the door. She listened for a bit as she heard him quickly scamper back to his room, wincing at the amount of noise he was making in the process. Then, taking a deep breath, she gathered her dirty clothes and toiletries and slipped out of the bathroom herself…and right into the wiry frame and hook-nose stare of Aunt Alma. The surprise caused her to drop everything she was carrying.

"Hmmm," the old woman said with a disapproving stare. "I see Ronald Eugene slip out of the bathroom and head for his room in a hurry, and then not two minutes later, I see you slip out, Kimberly. Mind telling me what you were _both_ doing in the bathroom with the door shut?"

Kim's mind was racing to come up with something plausible, but nothing was coming to mind. Then from behind her she heard Ron's voice.

"That was my fault, Aunt Alma," he said nervously. "I didn't know KP was in there, and I rushed into to use the bathroom."

"So that is why your cheek is red, young man?" the old woman said with a disapproving frown.

Kim turned around, and noted in surprise that her fiancé's left cheek was indeed red. Quickly she put it together and realized he must have seen her be confronted by his aunt, and had slapped himself to help her. She smiled gently.

"Yes, Ma'am," Ron replied. "I accidentally walked in on her, and she slapped me on a reflex. Totally deserved."

Aunt Alma eyed them both with a look that said she wasn't totally convinced, but she still walked down the hall and appeared to have let the matter drop. Kim sighed in relief as she gathered her things from the floor, and Ron came over to help her.

"See what I mean," she said with a pointed whisper, just in case Aunt Alma was waiting around the corner. "What if she had walked by a minute earlier?"

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't thinking. But still, what are we gonna do about…_that_?"

Kim shook her head as she rose with her arms once again full of her things. "I don't know, Ron. I mean, it's not like we want anybody to know about it, but we've somehow got to keep it hidden until we leave Sunday morning."

"Maybe we could ship it back to Upperton," he supplied as he held the bedroom door open for her.

Kim smiled at the smart suggestion, wondering why she hadn't thought of that herself. "I knew there was a brain under there somewhere. You really are smarter than you give yourself credit for, Ronnie."

"I am what I is," Ron replied with a trademark goofy grin.

After she deposited her things in her room, they headed down the stairs together. The living room was already buzzing with the younger cousins anticipating the start of the televised broadcast of that big parade held every Thanksgiving in New York. Kim found herself wondering if it would have been possible to go see the parade in person, but then she remembered a friend once telling her that in order to get a good seat you often had to be there several days in advance. And from the looks of the pre-show, the weather in New York City along the route wasn't necessarily going to be conducive to the comfort and entertainment of small children. Though Kim did find the thought of how it might be nice for two to view the parade while snuggled under a blanket passing through her mind. Maybe it could be something fun for her and Ron to do sometime…possibly even the next year if they weren't doing anything else…

Kim was brought out of her thoughts by a hard and bony tapping on her shoulder. She turned to find Aunt Alma standing over her, a smile on the older woman's face that Kim instantly felt uncomfortable with.

"Kimberly, if you will please come with me. It's time to get started on the turkeys."

Kim nodded and smiled, but couldn't stop the small gulping that made its way quickly down her throat. She glanced at Ron with a hidden nervousness in her eyes, and he quickly placed a supportive kiss on her cheek.

"You'll be fine, KP," he reassured her softly in her ear. "Remember, you can do anything."

Kim smiled and squeezed his hand in loving appreciation before following Aunt Alma out into the kitchen. On the way, she noticed that most of the of-age women were already in the kitchen and dining room area. Aunt Shannon was currently boiling eggs for a deviled egg dish, Aunt Margot and Cousin Amelia were peeling potatoes, and Sam, Jordan, and Lillian were triple-team chopping a pile of vegetables. Big Mama was working on a stuffing mix, Jean Stoppable was dealing with the beginnings of what Kim assumed would be some kind of bread, and Axel's wife Adrian was working on some sort of dish that Kim didn't quite recognize in its beginning stages. There was also a cranberry station set up that the red-head assumed would be Aunt Alma's task once the older woman showed her to her station. And then Kim saw her assignment…a pair of _monster_ turkeys already skinned and waiting for her attentions. Looking at them, the red-head was struck by the amusing yet daunting idea that each one could probably comfortably fit around her head with room to spare.

However, what caught the young woman by surprise the most was that they both looked like they could just as easily get up and walk off the counter and out the door. Kim found herself feeling just a tad green at the sight of the birds' waiting carcasses—and not just at the prospect of how she was going to cook them either. No, this feeling was reminiscent of the unease she'd felt in her stomach at the sight of blood while helping her own mom with a procedure on Mother's Day her sophomore year in high school. Evidently Aunt Alma hadn't been kidding when she said they were "freshly killed" the morning before. Said woman grabbed a glass and a spoon, and brought them together with a clink.

"Ladies, may I have your attention please." The way she said it made it clear to anyone that she wasn't so much asking for as commanding the attention. "As you all know, it is tradition that the newest woman in the kitchen is the one responsible for the main course her first year with us. This year, the responsibility for making this meal successful falls solely on the shoulders of Ronald Eugene's new fiancée, Kimberly Anne Possible. I'm sure she will amaze us all with what she manages to come up with."

The look Aunt Alma followed that little speech with told Kim in no uncertain terms that the older woman expected the "amazement" to come in the form of shock and horror at how bad the birds turned out. Glancing around the room, it wasn't too hard to figure out that most of the other women also expected the same thing. Somehow, word of the red-head's kitchen woes had managed to make it around the family already. Even Jean was looking at her with a sympathetic smile on her face, and Kim could almost hear the "good lucks" the woman was mentally sending towards her. In fact, the only ones who were actually smiling without a sense of dread or foreboding behind their smiles were Sam and Jordan, both of whom gave her thumbs up of support.

Kim nodded her understanding, took a deep breath, and turned towards the waiting birds. _Alright, Possible, you can do anything, so you can handle this. Just do like Ron said and take it one step at a time. Basting first, and cook longer on a lower temperature if necessary._

As she stepped up to the birds however, her built up confidence flew out the window as she suddenly had a flash of something she wished she'd asked Ron. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards the rest of the women, hoping they'd be more help than she suspected they would.

"What sauce do I use to baste them?"

Before any of the other women could speak up, Jean smiled and replied, "Kim, that decision is up to you entirely. My first time, I used a lemon pepper marinade, but Sam's first time she used an orange juice blend that turned out very nice."

Aunt Margot scowled. "Yes, but _Samantha's_ bird was also way too sweet, if you remember, Jean."

Her daughter sighed. "Mom, its Sam or Sammy. And you said you were impressed with me that day."

Aunt Shannon frowned. "The point is, Kimberly, part of being responsible for the main course means adding your own personal touch to it. Surely someone of your _worldly experience_ and _intelligence_ can figure that out on your own."

Kim nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I just wanted to make sure I didn't do something that someone would be allergic to."

Big Mama smiled warmly, evidently seeing through the flimsy excuse to the young woman's hidden distress. "Don't you worry about a thing in that department, dear. Only allergies in this family deal with manners towards new people."

Aunt Alma looked at her mother shrewdly. "Mother, you know just like the rest of us that a woman who cannot cook does not truly deserve the title."

The smile disappeared from the Levinstein matron's face. "Alma, that will be quite enough of that. You let that young woman tend the birds, and you get to work on those cranberries. Or are you looking for a repeat of last year's fiasco when the cranberry sauce wasn't thick enough."

_That's the answer_, suddenly flashed through Kim's mind.

Quickly she headed over to the fridge and opened it, hoping to find what she needed. While it was there, there wasn't nearly enough, or at least Kim didn't think it would be enough. She shut the door and approached Ron's mother.

"Mrs. S., I need to borrow the keys to the car for a bit. Need to run to the grocery store."

Jean looked at her quizzically for a minute before it dawned on her what the young woman was thinking. Or at least part of what she was thinking hit her. Smiling, she pointed at her purse and nodded. Kim grabbed the keys, and quickly rushed out the door. A few minutes later, Jean was surprised when her son poked his head in the kitchen.

"Hey Mom, where was KP going?"

"Ronnie?" his mother said in surprise. "I thought Kimberly would take you with her."

Ron shook his head. "No, she was out the door before I realized it, and she drove off before I could get outside."

Jean shrugged. "Honestly Ron, I don't know what she's up to. She had one of those looks on her face though—the kind she gets when she thinks of something she wasn't expecting."

Ron nodded and shut the door, the same question running through his mind that was now flying through his mother's as well: _Kim, what are you up to?_

Less than thirty minutes later, Kim returned, carrying several bags with her. When Ron tried to stop her and ask what was going on, she merely kissed him on the cheek in response and headed back into the kitchen, a strange smile on her face. And inside when she started on her project, Jean could only squint and scratch her head a bit at what the red-head was doing. However, she shrugged and returned to the bread she was making, trusting that Kim had somehow come up with something…even if the young woman was making a bit more mess than necessary.

Around forty-five minutes later, Kim slipped the first bird into the oven and set the timer. However, Jean was confused even more by the low temperature the young woman had set the oven on. Another fifteen minutes, and Kim slid the other bird in, and raised the temperature quite a bit. Ron's mother wondered just what the young woman had in mind for cooking the birds equally, but she also knew this was something Kim had to either succeed at or fail at on her own if the red-head wanted to gain the approval of the Levinstein women. The moment the birds were in and going, Kim set about helping the other women with their various tasks. She chopped veggies with Sam, Jordan, and Lillian; assisted Aunt Margot and Amelia with the potatoes; and even tried to help Alma with the cranberries. Every so often, Kim would open the oven and pour some of her concoction on the two turkeys, once or twice pouring so much that Jean worried she was going to drown the birds and make them too moist.

However, Kim seemed…_relatively_ confident in what she was doing. Either that, or she was so nervous that she wasn't thinking straight. Jean merely shook her head, particularly when Alma kept leaning over the young woman's shoulder with a less-than-approving eye. Around noon, the feast finally started coming together, though they were still waiting on Kim's turkeys to be done. However, when Alma tried to pull them out, Kim shook her head.

"Not ready yet," was her only reply.

Aunt Alma eyed her suspiciously. "Are you just saying that, Kimberly, or do you actually have a plan for them?"

Kim glanced at the clock on the stove. "Needs another thirty minutes to an hour. Otherwise, they won't be fully cooked."

Ron's mom blinked in surprise. From what she'd heard from her son, his fiancée had the world's worst track record in the kitchen. According to Ron, when the two of them had worked at Bueno Nacho in ninth grade, Kim had experienced trouble with simple burrito folding. And everyone in Middleton knew the story of the "girl who can do anything" being dragged down the hallways of Middleton High by a rogue mixer when the pair took Home Economics. Whatever the red-head had cooking (both literally and figuratively), Jean could only hope she wasn't attempting to fly by the seat of her pants, as the women of the Levinstein clan would see through that immediately.

At the appointed time, the birds were removed from the oven, both having gained a golden brown color to them. Kim looked extremely pleased, but Jean could also see the slight perspiration of nervousness beginning to form on the young woman's brow. The food was brought into the dining room, and the women all went to change into nicer clothes. When Kim came back down, Jean took note that she was holding Ron's hand as if her life depended on it. After the prayer of thanks, Aunt Alma stepped forward before they all sat down, and cleared her throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose something a little different today. Seeing as Ronald's fiancée Kimberly was the one to prepare these birds, I think it only fitting that he be the first one to taste them."

Big Daddy smiled. "A fine suggestion, Alma. Ronald, if you will please step forward to accept the first bite."

Though she could tell he tried to hide it from her, Kim knew her love too well to not see the gulp of nervousness Ron let slide down his throat. However, he still stepped forward bravely to accept the piece of meat that his grandfather sliced off. The minute the morsel entered the young man's mouth, his eyes went wide and he turned to look at Kim with a look of complete shock on his face.

"Well, Ronald," Aunt Alma said with a sneering smile and a none-too-polite tone, "how did she do?"

* * *

a/n

As always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)

Also, for those of you waiting on the conclusion to **Why Didn't You Tell Me Sooner?**, your wait is almost over. Had a regular reader ask if I would mind waiting a few weeks longer before I posted the reveal so they could read it, and they just gave the green light. So expect the "Chapter 2: The Reveal" to appear soon. :)


	22. Chapter 22

A/N

Chapter 22 is up and running!

So how did Kim do with the turkeys? It's time to find out, as Ron passes his judgment.

Then, as the family sits for the meal, a few issues are brought to light, and the effects reveal something unexpected...

Gerhardt finds himself with a little reflection time, and an unexpected fly in the ointment...or two...

A discussion between Big Mama and Kim brings out a topic that might need discussion.

Anne worries about her daughter, bringing up a subject between her and James.

Kim confronts Ron's aunts about a family issue, but who's really right?

A few answers to why people might think the way they do are revealed.

Finally, Wade has some new information for Team Possible.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose something a little different today. Seeing as Ronald's fiancée Kimberly was the one to prepare these birds, I think it only fitting that he be the first one to taste them."

Big Daddy smiled. "A fine suggestion, Alma. Ronald, if you will please step forward to accept the first bite."

Though she could tell he tried to hide it from her, Kim knew her love too well to not see the gulp of nervousness Ron let slide down his throat. However, he still stepped forward bravely to accept the piece of meat that his grandfather sliced off. The minute the morsel entered the young man's mouth, his eyes went wide and he turned to look at Kim with a look of complete shock on his face.

"Well, Ronald," Aunt Alma said with a sneering smile and a none-too-polite tone, "how did she do?"

Ron chewed for a minute, his face completely unreadable. Then, after what seemed like an eternity to Kim, he barely swallowed a bit of it…and broke into one of the biggest confused frowns she'd ever seen on his face.

"KP, did you really do this?"

Kim hung her head, and could feel the embarrassment creeping onto her cheeks. "Don't worry, Ron, you don't have to go easy on me."

She heard a very audible sound emanating from his throat as he swallowed the rest of the bite. "Kim, why would I go easy on you? You know I'm going to tell you the truth. Now answer me, did you really cook these yourself?"

Kim folded her arms around herself, wishing she could disappear. "Ron, you don't have to drag it out. I know I screwed up Thanksgiving for everyone here."

To her surprise, Ron actually let out a laugh!

"Screwed it up? KP, this is delicious! I don't know what you did, but I definitely want the recipe!"

Kim's head popped up so fast it made her dizzy. "Wh…what?" she stammered.

Ron stood there with the biggest of grins taking up half his face. Apparently forgetting all sense of decorum, he swept her up into a spinning hug. "KP, you did it! You cooked!"

Kim was about to react, probably in an even more elated manner, when a singular voice cut through the excitement, instantly killing it.

"That remains to be seen, Ronald Eugene," Alma declared coolly. "After all, we already know this little _shiksa_ has you completely under her thumb. So it's not too far a stretch to think that she asked you to say that."

The smile quickly disappeared from Ron's face, and he slowly let Kim down.

"Ron, no," Kim whispered, seeing immediately where this was heading. "Please, let it go."

However, Ron turned slowly towards his aunt, a hard look in his thankfully-still-brown eyes. "If you want proof, Aunt Alma, taste it yourself," he replied with a tone to match his glare.

Now Aunt Shannon stepped forward. "See, Jeanette, this is exactly what we've been talking about. A good Jewish girl wouldn't provoke you son to mount so much _chutzpah_ against his elders."

Kim closed her eyes and wrapped her arms protectively around herself once more, finding her mind wishing once again that she could be anywhere else at that moment. She was actually halfway contemplating disappearing out the door when Big Mama cleared her throat loudly.

"ENOUGH!" the Levinstein matron roared.

The volume of the yell caused Kim's eyes to shoot open in surprise that such a small woman could put that much power behind her voice. And she was more than a little intimidated when that same woman came over to her and put a wrinkled hand on her shoulder.

"Kimberly, I have two questions for you. One, did you cook this turkey by yourself, and two, did you ask my grandson to give you a favorable review?"

Kim shook her head. "Yes, Mrs. Levinstein, I did cook it. And I actually told Ron to be completely honest about it before we arrived."

Jean smiled. "That's right, Mother, she did. On the plane over here, she told Ronald that he had better use his best culinary criticism to critique whatever she managed to come up with."

Ron, though, still hadn't regained his smile. "Which I did, and I would have finished if you would've let me. The meat is a little bit dry, but whatever this marinade is that Kim created completely negates it because it's soaked into every bit and makes it seem a lot juicier. In fact, if I didn't have what my Culinary professor call's the 'Chef's Tongue', I wouldn't even pick up on the little bit of dryness."

The silence that followed was deafening to Kim's ears, and she was a little worried the fighting was about to resume when Jordan spoke up with a cheerful tone to her voice.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but it smells good and I'm starving. I say we let our taste buds decide for themselves."

The rest of the family seemed to agree with that notion, and sat down with a companionable silence as they began passing around the dishes. Kim chose a seat between Ron and his father, and though sitting gingerly because of her still sore backside, found her appetite suddenly at a ravenous level. As the food traveled around, Kim decided to be polite and try a bit of everything before loading up on things she knew she liked. Then she tucked into her plate in general silence, listening to the conversations but never fully joining in and hoping that she could avoid being the cause of another explosion among Ron's relatives. Though she did stay away from the pieces of turkey she put on her plate, just in case Ron had indeed spared her feelings in describing it.

However, her wish to remain relatively unnoticed didn't last long as the topic soon turned to her and Ron's engagement.

"What I don't understand," Big Daddy said with a swallow of his bite of one the turkey legs, "is why you two felt you had to keep this a secret from everyone, Ronald. Your mother tells me that you two have actually been engaged since the beginning of June. And I must say I was surprised to hear it from that press conference you two did."

Ron swallowed a bite of stuffing and placed his fork on the table. "Actually, Big Daddy, we wanted to tell everyone sooner, but we both felt it would be better to tell our families in person. That way, regardless of your reactions, we have to sit here as adults and listen to them. It also means that you get the true story, and not some falsehood cooked up by the media."

Kim smiled as Ron laced his hand with hers under the table. "He's right, Sir. And as far as the press conference goes, we had to do that to counteract what Willie Finkman was trying to say about us."

"And just what does this Finkman character say about you two, hmmm?" Aunt Margot replied as she folded her hands over her plate and eyed the two of them shrewdly.

Jean spoke up. "Margot, Willie Finkman doesn't tell the truth, you know that. He says what he wants his viewers to hear."

Aunt Alma glared at her younger sister. "But you also know that he also has a grain of truth behind what he says, Jeanette. I just want to know what kernel of information prompted him to say what he said."

Cousin Beau Levinstein, Margot and Jacob's youngest, laughed loudly. "I think Cousin Ronnie just didn't want to admit to everyone that he was engaged to a Porcu-Butt!" he exclaimed with the cruelness only a boy of eight was capable of.

Several of the younger cousins began laughing hysterically, and Kim found herself with no choice but to grin and bear it, even as the redness scorched her cheeks.

"Hey look!" Ron's twin cousins Elisa and Bethany Rosenberg said in laughing unison. "Porcu-butt is turning redder than the cranberries!"

"AHEM!" Big Daddy intoned loudly. "That will be enough of that, or a few grandchildren will find themselves doing chores after we eat."

"Oh, Dad, let them have their fun," Aunt Shannon said with a sweet smile. "It's only a harmless nickname."

"NO!" the head of the family replied firmly. "I have to say I'm ashamed of the way this family is treating our guests right now. Why I'll bet that Kimberly, Charlie, Fletcher, David, and Kirsten are appalled at the show you all are putting on. I would wager even Adrian is shocked, even though she has seen this at previous holidays. Especially the way you all are behaving towards Kimberly, who as far as I can tell is pretty much already a part of this family."

Kim held up her hand. "Really, Sir, it's fine. I have younger twin brothers myself, so I'm used to this sort of thing."

The other four dates that had been brought all nodded, and Kim had a sneaking suspicion all four of them had personal knowledge of the terror of younger siblings. Cousin Daniel's date Kirsten even seemed to be shaking her head in amusement at some remembered joke that had been pulled on her.

Ron smiled as he put his arm around her. "She's right, Big Daddy. Jim and Tim have turned teasing Kim into an art form."

Aunt Alma slowly set down her drink. "So, you come from a whole family of heathens then. Parents probably care more about their jobs than about the more important task of raising their children properly."

"That is not what she said, Aunt Alma" Cousin Sam replied defensively. "And besides, siblings always joke with each other. I mean, look at you, Mom, Uncle Jacob, and Aunt Shannon."

"And where do you get the right to criticize my parents?" Kim asked gently with no trace of attitude. "They love me and my brothers very much and would do anything to keep us safe and raise us right."

Unfortunately, gently wasn't the way Aunt Alma took it.

"How dare you talk back to me!" the older woman screeched. "Get out of this house this instant, you hellfire-headed _shiksa_! And Ronald Eugene, you are _FORBIDDEN_ to marry her!"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Big Mama replied banging her fist on the table. "Alma, you have no right to speak to her that way, or to tell Ronald that he is not allowed to marry her! I haven't passed the title of Matron just yet."

"Mother, can't you see that this…_hellion_ of a viper is only interested in Ronald because of his money? She's going to corrupt him to the point he is unable to go to Heaven if she hasn't already!"

Gene Stoppable, who up to this point had been keeping relatively quiet while he helped Hana with her food, cleared his throat. "Alma, you are mistaken on both counts there. One, Kimberly has her own trust account that will set up her and whoever she ends up with for life. Even if something unthinkable should happen to separate these two, she already has more money than she will ever need. And two, Ronald is the man he is today because of his friendship and now relationship to this young woman and her wonderful family. I tell you the truth that if something were to happen to me and Jeanette right now, we would have no second thoughts about the fact that Kimberly's parents are listed on our wills as the legal guardians of our children. The fact that Kimberly and Ronald are going to spend the rest of their lives together, whether you say they can or not, only serves as further testament to the bond they share."

Big Mama eyed Jean with a quizzical look. "Is that true, Jeanette?"

Ron's mother nodded. "Yes, Mama, it is. We even invited the Possibles as guests of honor when Ronald went through his _Bar_ _Mitzvah_."

Aunt Margot eyed Kimberly with a look that hurt the young woman's eyes to return. "And what exactly is your faith, young lady?"

Kim was about to answer when Ron did it for her.

"She's Baptist, which means we're going to be a dual-faith household. Because I won't ask her to change for me, and she won't ask me to change for her. And our children will be able to choose whatever religion they wish to follow."

"Well then you can forget about our attendance," Aunt Margot replied.

"Speak for your own views, Mom," Jordan replied. "As a matter of fact, Fletcher is Catholic. And guess what: I'm converting if we end up together for good. And I hope we're at least half as happy together as Kim and Ron obviously are." She turned to her cousin. "I can guarantee I'll be there, Ron. Even if I have to walk all the way from New York to Colorado."

The air hung deathly silent for a bit before Aunt Margot exploded.

"HE'S WHAT? Jordan Renée, you specifically told me he was Jewish!"

The cherry-red-haired girl eyed her mother. "No, I told you he might convert."

Aunt Margot turned towards Kim and pointed a pudgy finger. "You! You're corrupting my daughters! Alma's right! Get out of this house!"

"Now hold on, Marge" Uncle Aaron said loudly. "Jordan and Sam have made their own choices, just like you raised them too."

"Aaron, stop taking the _shiksa's_ side!" Aunt Shannon berated loudly.

"Shannon, you and your family have been nothing but hostile towards that young woman since the moment we arrived. And I applaud her for doing nothing but grinning and bearing it."

"Grinning and bearing it?" Aunt Shannon said in disbelief. "Aaron, she talked back to my sister when all Alma did was ask the girl about her parents and how they raised her."

Jean bristled. "Shannon, dig the cloth out of your ears and pay attention. Alma deliberately insulted Kimberly's parents and baited her to fight back. And I am surprised it took doing that as much as you all have ridden her these past two days."

"I did not bait her!" Aunt Alma fired back.

"ENOUGH!" Big Daddy roared. "Have any of you given any thought to how what you're saying is affecting Kimberly or Ronald? I for one am amazed at the restraint these two are showing!" He turned towards the two, and immediately his eyebrow rose in confusion. "Umm, Ronald, where is Kimberly?"

Ron looked at the chair between him and his father, and was startled to find it empty except for Kim's napkin. In the midst of all the arguing, he hadn't even realized the two of them were no longer holding hands, though he certainly noticed the dampness on his hand that he recognized as traces of his love's tears. It was then that everyone heard the front screen door shutting. Big Mama stared out the glass of the door with a frown on her face.

"Ronald, I think you might want to go after her. Particularly if you want your wife to know that cinnamon and cranberry juice marinade recipe half as much as you say you do."

Ron didn't need to be told twice.

**…**  
**…**

The straw that had finally broken Kim was when Aunt Margot accused her of corrupting her daughters. The tears had actually started just before that when Jordan stood up to her mother. Kim knew Ron's cousin was just being supportive, but the fact that she knew she was the cause of the family strife exploding all around the Levinstein's Thanksgiving table was simply too much for the young woman to deal with. So she had quickly and quietly slipped out, hoping to make it outside before she completely broke down. She also found herself hoping ever so slightly that Ron _wouldn't_ follow her, at least not for a few minutes, so that he wouldn't see her sobbing.

In fact, to keep him from finding her right away, she actually headed into the woods behind the house after exiting the front door. The cold of a Connecticut November wind was blowing all around her, stinging her bare arms a bit, but instead of feeling the cold all she felt was even more alone. Soon she came to a clearing with a group of stumps all cut about the same height. Somehow she was drawn to choose the largest one, and she sat down and let the last of the dam break, wrapping her arms around herself as she cried out her frustration and hurt. She tried to keep it a dignified crying, but the stress of this whole sitch made it impossible as her tears flowed freely and without pause.

Through her sobs, she could hear Ron calling her name, but for the moment she refused to answer. She knew he had this picture of her as a strong, confident woman who could do anything and handle any sitch, and the last thing she wanted right now was for him to see her like this. She thought wryly that this would make a great picture for Willie Finkman to exploit: Kim Possible, world hero, sitting alone in the woods with her hair a mess while she cried her heart out. Oh, he and his paparazzi buddies would eat this up. The fact that Willie was also part of the reason she was in this predicament should have hardened her against it, but all it did was cause her crying to increase in strength to the point that she was rocking with each sob.

After what seemed like ages (but in reality was only a minute or two after she sat down), she heard familiar footsteps in the grass. Turning, she found a friendly face that belonged to someone who always seemed to know how to cheer her up when no one else could. She nodded at him, and the owner of the footsteps scampered up on the stump beside her, placing a naked pink paw gently on her arm.

"Ron's looking for me, isn't he Rufus?" she said with a watery, barely-held-together smile.

"Uh huh," the mole rat chittered as he patted her arm soothingly. "Worried."

She half-smiled again, but the tears hit a fresh wave. Rufus softly climbed up to her shoulder, and hugged her neck comfortingly as her sobs resumed. It wasn't long before his owner came following through the trees, just slightly out of breath from running around searching for her. Seeing Kim in so much pain tore at Ron's heart, and he would have given anything at the moment to erase the past few hours from her memory. He came over and gently sat down beside his fiancée, wrapping both arms around her in a comforting and loving hug. At first Kim tried to pull away and shield herself from the world, but that resistance lasted only about thirty seconds. Before long, she'd turned towards him and buried her face in his shirt, instantly soaking it with her tears. Ron sat there silently, calmly rubbing her back, letting her cry as long as she needed to. By the time her sobs had calmed to quiet hiccups, he could tell she would soon pass out. To tell the truth, he wasn't surprised in the least. Picking her up bridal style, he tenderly carried Kim back to the house.

Not a word was spoken from any of the family as Ron carried her stone-faced up the stairs and up to the guest room she was using. He softly tucked her into bed, and then quietly closed the door after leaving a note on the nightstand where she'd be sure to see it, just in case she woke before he returned to the room. He also left a loving kiss on her forehead, and smiled when her lips slightly curled up at his touch. When he finally re-entered the dining room, there were more than a few Levinstein eyes watching him warily as he gathered his fiancée's plate together and put it in the fridge so she could finish it later.

"Well," Aunt Alma said with a smirk, "clearly she can't handle the pressure of a normal life."

"Shut up, Aunt Alma," Ron growled as placed a few extra pieces of the turkey on Kim's plate.

"I will do no such thing, Ronald Eugene," she said bitterly. "And you had better learn to watch your attitude."

Ron didn't respond right away, instead grabbing some foil from a drawer in the kitchen and covering the plate before placing it in the fridge. When he returned, his eyes were hard and his tone harder. "You people have no idea what the lot of you did just now, do you?"

"Pray tell us then," Aunt Margot bit harshly at her nephew.

Ron glared at her. "You took the strongest, most courageous, most forgiving person I have ever had the good fortune to know, and you broke her down to the point of sobbing her eyes out." He pointed at his shirt, which bore a wet spot that easily covered his whole chest and stomach. "She was crying so hard that it took less than a minute for her to do this! When she will hardly even get a watery sheen to her eyes when she gets a deep cut or things look hopeless on our missions. Even when she was at her lowest the night she found out Dr. Drakken had played her with a fake guy and she was about to give up the missions for good, she didn't shed a single tear. All she wanted to do was impress you to the point that you would at the very least tolerate her as the love of my life, and you never even gave her a chance."

"Because she doesn't deserve one," Aunt Alma replied coldly. "She's not…"

"I DON'T CARE THAT SHE'S NOT JEWISH!" Ron yelled. "She loves me and accepts me for who I am, and she feels more like family to me than some of you have ever felt! Whether you like it or not, she IS the woman I'm going to marry, and it will happen in four years time whether we have your consent or not. Hopefully, you can be there to celebrate it with us. But if you're not, it won't matter to me one bit. And for a couple of you, I hope you're _not_ there, just so she doesn't have to remember this…_nightmare_ on a day when she's supposed to be happier than she's ever been."

Big Daddy and Big Mama both stood up, and Big Daddy smiled at his grandson. "I hope you don't include your grandmother and me in that last part, Ronald, because as long as we haven't crossed through Heaven's gates we'll be there with smiles on our faces."

Ron smiled. "Of course I don't mean you when I say that," he replied before hugging his grandparents. "You're the two people, other than Mom, Dad, and Hana, that I want there the most."

With that, he left the room in silence. However, instead of heading up to where Kim was, he walked outside to the clearing where he'd found her. Sighing, he plopped down on the same stump she'd been sitting on. Out of all the places she could have gone, she'd come here, to the one place he could always come to when his mother's family got to be too much to bear. She'd even sat on the same stump he liked to sit on when he needed to be alone to calm down. He heard a rustling sound behind him, and turned to see Rufus bounding towards him through the grass. When the mole rat scampered up his human's leg, Ron sighed once more, scratching Rufus gently on the head.

"I don't know, buddy, maybe it was a bad idea to bring KP here. I knew they were going to be real sharks about this whole thing, but I really didn't think they'd take it that far. And I sure didn't think they'd reduce Kim to that state."

Rufus merely shrugged and chittered sympathetically, unable to find the words to voice the concern he felt for his humans.

"Ron, you were right to bring her here," he heard Sam say from behind him. "Better that she sees this now than learns about it later."

Another sigh issued from his mouth. "I know, Sam, but…I meant what I said back there—I've never seen KP cry like that. And I've known her since our first day of Pre-K just before I turned five. She didn't even cry that hard when her Grandpa Connor died when we were in eighth grade, and they were really super close."

Sam smiled. "She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

Ron eyed his cousin carefully. "Uh, hello? Asked her to marry me, remember?"

The cherry-red-haired girl rolled her eyes as she sat next to him on the stump. "Not what I meant, Ron. I mean how much you don't like seeing her hurt. All these years, whenever Mom or Aunt Margot or Aunt Shannon, or even Aunt Alma, put you down, you just took it with a smile. But they say barely two words against Kim, and you immediately come to her defense. You really do love her."

"With everything I am," he replied with a smile.

Sam's grin matched the goofiness of the one her cousin normally wore. "So then why are you sitting out here? If I were in her place, I know the first thing I'd want to see when I wake up after dealing with something like that is the smile on my fiancé's face. Or at the very least, to see him snoozing in the bed next to me."

Ron nodded. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Sam." He started to walk back, but stopped and turned. "By the way, tell Jordan that the two of you are most definitely not included in the group I don't want there at the wedding."

Sam grinned. "Will you get going already, Ducky? Kim's probably waiting on you right now."

* * *

Ivan Gerhardt frowned as he read the most recent reports he'd received from the WEE agents he'd picked to infiltrate G.V.U. Things were not on schedule at all, and already he'd been forced twice to push back the plans he'd shown Gemini when the WEE leader had first hired him. The original plan had called for the first stage to be a Halloween night strike, but according to the agent assigned to that job, that had been thwarted by some stupid girl who wanted Stoppable for herself. Then the first strike was set for earlier this week, but that had been pushed back again when Gemini had learned that not all of the agents that had been sent on this assignment could be fully trusted. And Gerhardt was quickly learning that when something went wrong in the WEE, it was always the fault of the person who planned it.

He shuddered involuntarily as he remembered that morning's conversation…

**…**  
**…**

"Ivan Gerhardt," Gemini intoned slowly, "I chose to make you my new Agent Alpha because you demonstrated a certain…initiative when you tried to usurp my sister as the head of," he covered Pepé's ears, "Global Justice."

Gerhardt frowned, his dark black mustache twitching wildly. "Gemini, I assure you I am just as ruthless now as I was then. Even more so now because I do not have to worry about losing my job if I take it too far."

"Ahh, but see that is the problem, Agent Alpha," the patch-eyed leader of the WEE responded. "You are _not_ taking it too far. In fact, I see a…_hesitance_ around you that does not fit an Agent Alpha's position."

"And I promise I am still just as dedicated to bringing down Dr. Director and Team Possible as I was when you busted me out of that prison. I just…I don't feel right about proceeding knowing the information we recently acquired. Agent One is convinced that Agent Two is responsible for Agent Five's disappearance and lack of contact, and the more I learn about her the more I begin to agree with him."

"Then what have you instructed Agent One to do about her? An Agent Alpha must be able to adjust when things do not go as planned. Or else be ready to take the seat that his offered to him."

"No, illustrious Gemini, that won't be necessary. I do have a contingency plan for this."

"Then act on it, Agent Alpha, before I decide to replace my Team Possible targets with ones that look like you." With that he pointed his bionic right hand and fired missiles at the firing dummies dressed like Kim and Ron, obliterating both

"Oh, and do a check on these other…_pests_ as well," the WEE leader added as he slid a photo across the desk at Gerhardt. "They are beginning to hamper our efforts in the northeastern United States."

**…**  
**…**

Now, as he reached a break point in his research on the G.V.U. project, Gerhardt glanced once more at the photo of two young people with confident looks on their faces. It surprised him just how much the two looked like another annoying pair he knew. He found himself…intrigued about who would win between the two pairs in a fight.

* * *

Kim awoke a few hours later to see Ron sitting in a chair next to the bed, his arms crossed and his head bowed as he slept. Though her eyes were still a little watery, she smiled at the sight of him like that, as if he were keeping a protective guard over her. At that moment, she heard the door open, and saw Big Mama enter the room. Evidently the elderly woman saw that the red-head was awake, as she came over to sit on the bed, her smile faltering a little as her old bones protested the movement.

"How are you, Kimberly?" she said when she finally got herself settled.

Kim quickly checked her state of dress and, realizing she was still clothed, sat up in the bed. "I'm better, Mrs. Levinstein. And I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for you and your husband and your family."

"Feh," the old woman replied with a wave of her hand. "To be honest, Kimberly, what you saw this afternoon was relatively tame for this family. The only difference was that your engagement to Ronald gave them a crucible to focus on. I just hope it'll be like normal and that they'll all forget about this in a few days and go back to getting along, at least until the next blow-up. If it makes you feel any better, none of them stormed out or left early because of this mess."

Kim nodded. "I do wish I hadn't said that to Aunt Alma though. But when she insulted my parents like that…"

"Forget about it, dear," Big Mama replied, cutting her off. "Alma and Jeanette have never gotten along, and Alma takes every chance she gets to put Jeanette down. And as far as I can tell, you handled yourself remarkably well considering all they've put you through the past couple days."

Kim smiled. "Well, it helps that I had Ron holding my hand for most of that."

Big Mama nodded and grinned. "Yes, Ronald here is quite the young gentleman. Though I do have a few questions for you specifically concerning you two."

Kim nodded. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

Ron's grandmother fixed her with a serious look. "First, I'm guessing you see how most of this family views you not being Jewish. But I'm wondering how your family views the fact that my grandson follows Reform Jewish faith. What I mean is: how did they react to your engagement?"

Kim smiled. "Well, my dad's family accepts him the same way I do, just as he is. As for Mom's family, we thought we were going to face something similar to this from my Grandma Dorothy. She's always been rather critical of me and my friendship with him, but when I stood up to her she surprised us all when she told us that it had all been a test of what I'd do if I was pressured by people who might disagree with us as a couple. After that, she pretty much voiced nothing but support for us."

Big Mama smiled. "Well, at least you'll have one side of your family to get along with. Okay, second question. What did Gene mean when he said you had a trust account and were set for life, even if you didn't end up with Ronald?"

Kim nodded. "Do you know about Ron inventing the Naco that Bueno Nacho pushes so much?"

"I've seen the commercials, and I remember when Ronald got a royalty check a few years ago. Why do you ask?"

The red-head grinned softly. "Well, this summer both me and your grandson were contacted by the Bueno Nacho Corporation again. They told us that they were going to start giving us both regular royalties, Ron for the Naco again and me for that Hablamos salad they've started carrying since I suggested it. Right now, we both have trust accounts set up that the money goes into, but once we hit twenty-five or get to twenty-one and are married, the money becomes fully ours. According to our dads, it means that if we handled it right, we might never have to work again."

"I see. So then what are you going to do? I know Ron wants to own a restaurant, but surely you don't want to do these missions of yours for the rest of your life. And I do wonder what you'll do once kids enter the picture."

Kim sighed. "To be honest, Mrs. Levinstein…

"Big Mama, dear."

"Sorry…Big Mama. To be honest, Big Mama, I don't really know what I want to do. I used to think I'd try to do something in International Diplomacy, but I think I'd like to be actually settled down in one place somewhere, and from what I've read people in that career track don't often get to do that. Or if they do, they end up in a country far from home, and I'd really like to stay in Middleton if we can. And as far as the missions go, Ron and I both agree that as long as we're still able to lead relatively normal lives, we'd like to keep doing it. Maybe not the super-villain fighting part, but the humanitarian part at least. We also agreed that if we ever felt like we were putting ourselves in too much danger, we'd stop. I mean, we've had close calls to be sure, but somehow we always knew we'd get out of it. If we ever face a mission where that's not the case, we'll definitely need to have a serious talk about where we go from there."

The elderly woman nodded her understanding. "Okay, last question. Seeing what you've seen of this family, do you still want to be with Ronald, even if you have to put up with this for the rest of your life?"

"No question," Kim replied immediately. "Ron means everything to me, and I would face this everyday if I had to if it meant being with him. And I can tell you that it's gonna take something a lot worse than this to get me to rethink spending the rest of my life with him."

Big Mama smiled. "Well, just so you know, Benjamin and I made our decision about you two after Ronald brought you up here. We have full plans to be there when you two tie the knot. Just make sure that both of you are telling the truth when you're wearing the white colors."

Kim nodded. "Oh, we intend to be," she replied.

However, as Ron's grandmother left the room, Kim couldn't ignore the thoughts that kept scratching at the back of her mind. She had spoken the truth to the woman, that they did _intend_ their first time to be their wedding night. However, Kim also found herself wanting each day more and more to give herself to Ron. In high school, while several of her classmates were giving up their innocence to the first guy who asked, she herself had never been asked. Part of that had to do with the fact that other than…_that thing_…she'd never had anything that lasted longer than two or three months. In fact, only Josh Mankey had lasted beyond the month mark, and that one had seemed to be falling apart from the start—probably something to do with being saved from her own stupidity by Ron on her first date out with Josh. Only Ron had managed to go the distance with her, and the idea of not being with him was now as foreign a concept to her as Cousin Larry's obsession with those sci-fi shows ("science fiction" she reminded herself, knowing full well Ron was also a fan of them).

But still, despite the fact that she and Ron were basically set in stone now, something kept eating at her to put a stamp on it. It wasn't like she was some hormonally driven sex-kitten, but the thoughts were still there. It was like an itch she didn't know how to scratch, and lately it kept getting more and more…"itchy". Plus there was the fact that despite all their skirting around the issue, she and Ron had never really sat down and had a serious talk about the issue other than on her eighteenth birthday, and that had been driven partially by the fact that Ron was trying to be respectful of his parents and her parents trusting the two of them with the house to themselves for a few hours. There was also the brief talk they'd had at the end of August after the mission Ron had insisted she take a break on while he and Joss had handled it. But other than that, neither of them had ever really brought the subject up. Now, as she sat there with the sheets pulled up around her waist watching him sleep, Kim began to wonder why they'd never approached the matter with a pair of calm heads before.

Her thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later when Ron reacted to something in his dreams and fell out of the chair. She giggled a bit as he untangled his arms and legs and stood up, rubbing the sleep from one eye. The minute his eyes fell on her smiling face, he rushed to her side.

"KP, I am so sorry about all this," he said grabbing her hand. "I really didn't think they'd push you that hard."

She put a finger to his lips to silence him. "Ronnie, it's okay. I still stand by what I said before we came on this trip, that I still want you regardless of what happens here this week," she said quietly. "And before you ask, no, I don't think we need to leave. This is your family, and we have to learn how to deal with the problems they throw at us just like we have to learn to deal with new villains."

Ron smiled. "Have I told you lately that I love you, KP?"

She smiled. "Yeah, but say it anyway. Or better yet, prove it and give me a…mmmph!…Mmmm."

Before she'd finished her sentence, Ron had already fulfilled the request. There was no tongue involved in this particular kiss, but the love behind the heated lip-lock told Kim in no uncertain terms that you didn't always need extras to make a kiss passionate. In fact, by the time he released her, her lips felt just slightly swollen and she was more than a little light-headed.

"Wow," she breathed. "Remind me to get more of those."

They leaned in for another kiss, but a gurgling from her stomach reminded them both that she hadn't eaten much before the drama that had occurred that afternoon. She looked down sheepishly.

"Guess certain things need to be taken care of first."

"Sounds like," he said with a smile. "Want me to bring your plate up here?"

Kim shook her head. "No. They might have knocked me down, but I'm not out yet, and I won't give them the satisfaction of thinking I am."

Climbing out of the bed, she straightened her dress and linked hands with Ron, and the two of them headed into downstairs and into the dining room. As they passed the living room, they could hear the cheers and groans of the rest of the men watching one of the late afternoon football games. By now the table had been cleared, and most of the leftovers put away, but Ron still dug out her plate, and set up a place for her at the table. He also grabbed a few things on a plate for himself as well so that she didn't have to eat alone. As it turned out, it was a good thing he'd grabbed some extra pieces of turkey for her, as both birds were now nothing more than skeletons.

"So it really did taste good?" Kim remarked in surprise. "You weren't making it up?"

Ron smiled. "It was badically delish…wait…you didn't even get to try your own turkey?"

She shook her head. "Ron, you know I always sample everything first, and that the main course always comes last on that. I was actually about to try the turkey when the whole mess started, and then my appetite just kind of disappeared."

Ron grinned. "Well then, try the bird first. I think you might have surprised yourself."

Kim stared at the piece of white meat on the end of her fork. Could it really be that good? Cautiously, she placed the morsel in her mouth, and her eyes went wide as the spiciness of the cinnamon blended perfectly with the tart and sweetness of the cranberry juice. It took her a few seconds to get over her shock and chew and swallow, but when she did, she couldn't contain herself.

"Wait…I did this? I cooked this? Me?"

Ron smiled. "According to everyone else who was in the kitchen, yes. Mom said she was completely surprised after all the stories I've told her about the mishaps you normally have in the kitchen."

Kim grinned and winked. "Well, just don't think I'm going to take over the cooking, buster. You're still a hundred times better than me in there."

A fake sulk formed on her love's face. "Only a hundred? Aww, man, guess I'd better train some more if I want to keep my customers out of the hospital when I open my restaurant."

She kicked him lightly under the table. "Don't push it, Stoppable," she said with a mock glare.

* * *

Anne stared at her watch intently. If what Jean had told her was true, by now Kim's turkeys would either be resting in full stomachs or sitting at the bottom of hazmat bags. Anne loved her daughter dearly, but more than once she wished Kim had inherited her cooking skills instead of her husband's. Wait, scratch that…if Kim had inherited James's cooking skills, she would have been okay, as the man could still manage to pull off a decent grilling job when properly motivated. Glancing at her watch again, Anne sighed.

"Worried about Kimmie?" her husband asked as he came up behind her.

Anne smiled as she stared out over the expanse of her brother-in-law's ranch, the food of the Possible Thanksgiving feast sitting comfortably in her stomach. She turned towards her husband, a contented yet worried look on her face.

"James, you and I both know she struggles in the kitchen, but I'm more worried about what Jean told me about her family. I know our daughter will manage something, but I worry about how this whole visit with Ron's family is going to affect her. I mean, she's never really met anyone who wasn't a villain who started off disliking her. It just worries me that she might be caught off guard."

James smiled and put his arms comfortingly around his wife. "Anne, she's a Possible. I'm sure she can handle whatever they throw at her."

Anne nodded. "You're right. I know you're right. I just worry about her."

James kissed her warmly. "Me too, Anne. And we probably always will. But like you keep telling me, we have to learn to let her go and face what the world has to offer. As you've said, she can't be our little girl forever."

Anne smiled. "Something tells me you might want her to though, James Timothy Possible."

James grinned. "Maybe so, Anne. Maybe so."

* * *

Friday went…relatively well at the Levinstein house compared to the days before, in that there were no more blow-ups like there had been the day before during the Thanksgiving meal. Even so, it wasn't easy to forget the ruckus, especially with all of Ron's aunts giving Kim very cold shoulders. Kim kept pretty much to herself for the most part, although she and Ron did manage to make a trip to the West Hartford post office to ship a certain item back to Upperton. Said item had actually been revealed by accident to a couple of people when Jordan, Sam, and their boyfriends decided to accompany the two into town, although the reactions weren't too harsh. Mostly it just led to a few teasing remarks from the cousins and some impressed hoots and whistles from Fletcher and Charlie. Ron merely grinned while Kim blushed redder than Sam's hair.

Back at the house, Kim busied herself by getting to know some of the other cousins, and found that a couple of them were actually only acting like they hated her at their mothers' insistence. In fact, it turned out a few of them were even closet fans of the red-headed teen hero. Jordan and Sam's youngest sister Madeleine even produced a secret notebook where she kept newspaper clippings of Team Possible's exploits she had managed to procure over the years, and let out a huge grin when Kim signed the inside cover for her.

The sitch with the aunts, however, simply refused to improve. Aunt Alma, Aunt Margot, and Aunt Shannon continued to imply with their tones and harsh looks that they thought Ron should be prohibited from even seeing Kim, but Kim had made up her mind to not let it affect her the way it had Thursday night. That was probably helped and made easier by the fact that Uncle Aaron kept attempting to make his wife see reason, and that Jordan and Sam continued defending Kim and her exploits to their mother. That left only Aunt Alma with no one to challenge her views, though goodness knows that Big Mama tried to be an intermediary buffer between her eldest daughter and her grandson's fiancée.

"Alma, you leave that young woman alone," she said matter-of-factly when Aunt Alma tried to grill Kim once again about her family.

"Mother, I'm just trying to get everyone to see what a bad influence the _shiksa_ is on Ronald Eugene," the woman replied. "I'm only trying to do what you taught us, and look out for the interests, both spiritual and emotional, of this family."

"And just how do you consider making your nephew miserable by insulting his fiancée to be looking out for the interests of this family?" Big Mama answered with a frown. "Because it seems to me you're just trying to stir up trouble. Ronald Eugene doesn't care that she's not Jewish, and his is the only opinion that counts on the matter."

"Mother!" Aunt Margot squeaked. "Do you want this whole family to be shamed?"

"The only ones shaming this family are the three of you with your constant bigotry," the Levinstein matron replied coolly.

However, the aunts would not be dissuaded, and continued to pester and prod for the entire visit. Aunt Margot and Uncle Jacob continued having "hushed" conversations about how Ron, "was consorting with an agent of Lucifer" within earshot of Kim, and Aunt Shannon continued to spar with her husband Aaron about their split views about the situation. Alma took up a habit of brushing roughly against Kim every time they walked past each other, though Kim recognized the bait and wisely never reacted. Although she found couldn't continue to keep her mouth shut when she heard the eldest of Ron's aunts tearing into Ron's mother about Hana Friday night as the two women sat in the kitchen.

"Look, I can understand your problem with me has a lot to do with my faith, Aunt Alma," the young woman said with a frown, "but what do you have against Hana? She's too young to have even picked a religion to follow yet."

If Kim hadn't spent the past five to six years facing down the world's criminal element, the look Aunt Alma gave her could have chilled her blood. As it was, the hairs on the back of the red-head's neck stood up as if electrified. Still, despite that, she stood firm in her resolve.

"First of all, young lady, I will _never_ be _your_ aunt. And secondly, the problem I have is that when my sister could not conceive another child naturally, she should have accepted that God had chosen for her to have only one child instead of circumventing His plan and choosing her own path by adopting a child who is clearly impure."

Kim frowned. "So you would rather see a little girl grow up without a loving home than take her into your family simply because she looks different than you?"

Aunt Margot happened to walk by the kitchen at that exact moment, and couldn't resist joining the argument. "That's right, missy. If Yahweh had wanted Jeanette to have more than one child, he would have blessed her womb again as he did with the rest of us."

"But how do you know it wasn't God's plan for them to adopt Hana?" Kim asked with a quizzical look.

The aunts had no answer for that, except for Alma's very cold remark: "And how do _you_ know that my sister's inability to have another child wasn't a punishment from the Almighty for defiling her branch of the family tree by marrying someone who didn't follow true Jewish faith and for letting her son date a _shiksa_? Answer me that, Miss Smart Mouth."

Kim would have replied, but Ron's mother put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "Kimberly, I'm afraid this is an argument that nobody can win. However, I do appreciate your views on the matter, as they come nearly parallel to my own."

Kim smiled and nodded her understanding, and left the room without another word on the matter. She also smiled when she noticed Big Mama and Big Daddy both playing with their newest granddaughter Hana in the living room directly across from the kitchen. From the looks of things, the two were exactly as Ron had described them, and were simply happy to have another grandchild they could spoil. The contrasts between the two scenes made Kim wonder whether or not the Levinstein sisters, other than Ron's mother, might subscribe to stricter views of their faith than they'd been raised to follow.

She got part of her answer early Saturday evening when she accompanied the family to the synagogue where Big Daddy and Big Mama regularly attended their Temple worship. The elder rabbi merely smiled when Ron introduced him to Kim, and congratulated them both. The aunts were further irked when the white-bearded spiritual leader made the comment that love knew no nationality and no religion.

"But Rabbi," protested Aunt Shannon, "the Holy Words specifically mention that one should not associate with heathens and non-believers."

The old man merely smiled. "Yes, Shannon, but I see no heathens here. I see only two young people who clearly care deeply about each other, and it is a kind of love that we are sorely in need of during these trying times. As for non-believers, I do not believe she is one; merely that she follows another path of faith that is different from our own. Furthermore, this young woman shows a great respect for young Ronald's beliefs by accompanying him to his place of worship. Personally, I see nothing wrong with her."

Later that evening when they returned to his grandparents house, she and Ron decided to go for a walk in the woods, just the two of them. As they walked, Kim sighed and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I guess you were right, Ronnie. This whole thing was pretty much a lost cause from the start."

Ron smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Not entirely, KP. You got to meet my family, and like I said, the only two people whose opinion on the matter I really care about seem to like you a lot. I don't think I've heard Big Daddy or Big Mama say a single thing against you the whole time we've been here. Well, maybe one or two things, but nothing serious."

"Like what?" she said as they reached the clearing and sat on the largest stump once more.

Ron sighed. "Well, Big Daddy said you need to be a little bit more vocal in defending yourself when people cut you down, but I told him that had mainly to do with the fact that you were trying to make a good impression and not cause any problems. Which he definitely thinks was noble of you, and successful where he and Big Mama are concerned."

Kim smiled. "And what about your grandmother?"

"Big Mama?" Ron replied, a small laugh accompanying the question. "She just thinks you need to learn when it's okay to drop out of the formal greetings and relax a bit around people."

Kim giggled a bit. "And what did you tell her?"

Ron grinned. "That it took you until August to even address Mom and Dad as 'Mr. and Mrs. S.', to which she laughed and said that at least I'd found someone who could possibly teach me the manners I seem to constantly forget."

Kim couldn't help herself, and let out the first real laugh she'd enjoyed since their plane had landed Wednesday morning. "Well, I've pulled off the impossible mission before, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to do that."

Ron smiled, but then frowned. "Speaking of missions, been kind of quiet for us lately, hasn't it? I mean, in high school I don't think we had a single period of greater than three days where we weren't dealing with a mission or something connected to one."

Kim sighed. "I know, and it's ferociously unnerving if you ask me. I feel kind of out of sorts without them."

"I know what you mean," Ron replied with a nod, returning his arm around Kim's shoulders. "I mean, I know part of it has to do with three of our main villains being off the market in the form of Drakken and Shego's reformation and Monkey Fist's stone imprisonment. And I guess it also has to do with the bad guys still needing to recover from the invasion, but it still seems really slowed down."

Kim frowned. "Speaking of Monkey Fist, I'm getting worried about this whole sitch with Bates and D.N. Amy. I know they missed their first chance, but we haven't heard so much as a peep from them in a couple weeks now."

Ron picked up a stick and began drawing in the dirt. "Maybe they've hit a snag, and can't proceed after all," he supplied hopefully.

She fixed him with a questioning eye. "And since when are we ever that lucky, Ron? If you ask me, they're saving their strength for the big strike. And just because we know when it's _supposed_ to hit, that doesn't mean we can afford to sit back and relax. We do have other enemies besides those two you know."

As if in response to her comment, a familiar sound began emanating from both their wrists.

_Beep Beep Be-Deep._

Kim eyed Ron with an '_I told you so_' written all over her face as she pressed the activation button on her Kimmunicator. "Hi, Wade. What's the sitch?"

The tech genius smiled. "Hey, you two. How's the family visit going?"

"About as expected," the red-head remarked with a wry smile.

Ron's grin was twice the size. "Not entirely true. KP actually made something badically delicious."

Immediately Kim's Kimmunicator began emanating a scanning ray.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"Just checking," Wade said with a chuckle. "After the Lil' Diablos sitch and the whole thing with Lars this past summer, can't be too careful."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Fine. Now, what's the sitch?"

Wade frowned. "Just thought you guys should be aware that Yori and Hirotaka just reported that a small band of monkey ninjas were spotted at Yamanouchi a few nights ago. And that they both suspect the group wasn't after Sensei at all. In fact, according to Yori, they seemed to get whatever they were after."

Ron got a nervous look on his face, but it was obvious the look was caused by knowing something he didn't want to. "Wade, what aren't you telling us?"

The tech genius rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, that's it."

However, Kim also caught the weird feeling her love was experiencing. "Out with it, Wade. Whatever it is, we can handle it."

"Seriously, guys, that's all I've got right now for that investigation."

"Wade…" Kim said with a bit of firmness to her voice. "Look, the more you tell us now, the better prepared we'll be."

The young man sighed. "Okay, but all it is something we already suspected. I was finally able to trace the path of the Amulet of Shangorilla. The last known person to possess it was a rich English Duke who acquired it on a trip to Asia. However, he passed away nearly eighty years ago."

"So it disappeared after that?" Ron said with a scratch of his head.

Wade shook his head. "Normally, that'd be right, but according to what I've found he has one living relative…well, one relative who hasn't really died as far as we know. And considering the Duke's name was Lord Reginald Fiske, I'm pretty sure you know who I'm referring to."

"So then all Bates and D.N. Amy need are the key components for the rituals, and Monkey Fist will be back to normal. Right?" Ron replied, a bit of worry to his voice.

"Sorry guys, but it's a little more serious than that," Wade replied.

"How much more?" Kim said, the tone of her voice matching Ron's.

* * *

a/n

Okay, this story just passed the 10k hit mark! Why you guys like my writing so much, I'll never understand, but I greatly appreciate it! THANK YOU! *bows*

As always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)

Also, keep an eye out for a few new stories to pop up soon. Both **Brother Tigers** and **Operation:Maple Leaf** are almost ready for their first chapter of publication. I'm still going to be working on this one, but both of these plot bunnies won't go away until I write them out. **Why Didn't You Tell Me Sooner?** will also soon be updated as well. :)


	23. Chapter 23

A/N

Chapter 23 is up and running!

Wade's got some bad news for his friends, and one of them really doesn't like what it means.

Joss has got some things on her mind, and only her cousin can help her out.

Then towards the end of the family visit, some implied things are finally said, and not everyone will be walking away with smiles.

Meanwhile back at G.V.U., a pair of girls have some thoughts about the men in their lives.

Sheila spends a little time reflecting on the situation before sharing a moment with Andy.

Kim decides its time for a discussion she and Ron have been putting off.

The plans of the WEE move forward, but is there another agenda beneath the scenes?

Wade finally has a break in one of his projects, but it only raises more questions.

And finally, Ron's starting to panic, and only Kim has the cure.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"So then all Bates and D.N. Amy need are the key components for the rituals, and Monkey Fist will be back to normal. Right?" Ron replied, a bit of worry to his voice.

"Sorry guys, but it's a little more serious than that," Wade replied.

"How much more?" Kim said, the tone of her voice matching Ron's.

Wade frowned. "From what I've been able to gather so far, Monkey Fist is going to have all the powers of the Yono once he's been revived. And that's even if they manage to perform The Monkey's Baton. From what I can tell, that particular ritual is only designed to take away things that hamper the benefactor, and it doesn't look like having the Yono's abilities would be something that hinders him."

Now Kim's worry was skyrocketing. "Wait, Wade…what are you saying?"

Wade looked at them both very seriously. "I'm saying that if what I've uncovered is true, Ron's the only one who might be close to being a match for Monkey Fist. And then only if he can access his Mystical Monkey Power at will."

Kim and Ron looked at each other, and the same thought appeared to cross both minds. However, Ron managed to turn towards his Kimmunicator first.

"Wade, you said 'might be close to being a match'. Does that mean we can't beat him?"

The tech genius shook his head. "Sorry, I worded that poorly. What I meant is that unlike before where it fell to you by default, this time it's going to have to be you and not Kim who takes him on. If she goes against him…"

Kim frowned, a look of disbelief in her eyes. "Wade, I'm not just some pushover, you know."

"Kim, I'm not saying you are," Wade replied defensively but with concern lacing his speech. "But the point is we don't know what all Yono has the ability to do. We only saw him for a short time when you guys faced him at the Yamanouchi School. And I don't know about you, but he was moving too fast for me to get a read on whether or not he has other abilities besides the petrify beams and the flying."

Ron nodded. "So in other words, Monkey Fist could have all those abilities in addition to his Tai Sheng Pek Kwar and his own Mystical Monkey Power. Which in turn makes him all the more dangerous."

Kim sighed and glanced away in disgust. "So, then what? I'm useless on this sitch? Is that what you're telling me?"

However, she immediately regretted saying it, as both Wade and Ron got very hurt looks on their faces.

"KP, we're not saying that at all," Ron replied, the look on his face reminiscent of the one he'd held when Bueno Nacho had cancelled Naco Night during the Lil' Diablos sitch. "How could you even think we'd look at this like that?"

Kim sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but if that's not what you're saying, then tell me what you are. Because right now I'm ferociously confused."

Wade half-smiled. "Kim, all we're saying is that if you guys do end up having to face him, you need to switch it up from your normal methods. Because of the nature of this mission, Ron will have to be the one to deal with the main threat while you and Joss take care of the other problems. And from what we can gather, you two will have your hands full with that, because while Ron takes on Monkey Fist, you're going to have to be dealing with Bates, D.N. Amy, the monkey ninjas, and whatever creations D.N. Amy has brought with them. You're still needed just as much as always on this. Especially if Rufus and Sensei aren't able to help because of the rituals. And even more so if Joss still isn't ready for this level of mission if and when it hits."

Ron smiled. "Besides, KP, I wouldn't be able to face Monkey Fist without knowing you're there standing against him with me."

Kim grinned, and hugged him appreciatively. "Well if it's that important that I be there," she said with mock seriousness.

Wade laughed a bit, an expression brought about more by the release of tension than a showing of mirth. "Okay, now that that's settled, how do you two feel about a mission? And before you ask, I haven't contacted Joss about this yet."

Kim smiled. "To tell the truth, Wade, we could probably use the distraction, if only to get away from here for a bit. And I'm pretty sure calling on Joss to join this one would be fine with both of us. What's the sitch?"

The tech genius glanced at his computer. "We got a request from a group of Greek scientists who say they had a high-powered laser they were working with get stolen. According to the hit they posted on the site, it was just a bunch of small time crooks that pulled off the heist, but the scientists need the laser back ASAP if they're going to keep their funding."

Ron grinned and looked down at his pocket, where a naked pink head was poking out. "Up for a mission, buddy?"

"Boo Yeah!" exclaimed Rufus, punching his small fist in the air.

Kim nodded. "Okay, Wade. Set up the ride and contact Joss. And we're going to need a pick-up from here in Connecticut."

"On it," Wade replied. "The ride should be there in about an hour."

Kim and Ron nodded as the screens blipped back to the TP logo. Looking at each other, they both got determined looks, and headed into the house. However, as they were going up the stairs, they could hear another argument going between Jean and Aunt Alma, and paused.

"I'm telling you Jeanette, I saw that _shiksa_ come out of the bathroom not two minutes after your son came out the other morning. And I'm not sure if I believe that he just happened to 'walk in on her' because he needed to go to the bathroom and wasn't thinking."

Ron's mother sounded genuinely offended. "Alma, apart from one isolated incident that occurred during their freshman year in high school, I have never known Kimberly to be anything but truthful. And Ronald hasn't told a lie since he was six. If that's what they say happened, that's what happened."

Aunt Alma sounded incensed. "And what would you call hiding their engagement, hmm?"

The two then heard Big Daddy speak up. "I think we should call it exactly what those two said it is, Alma: They wanted to tell us in person, and would have told us sooner if they could. And as they said, that press conference was purely to counteract the rumors that Willie Finkman was about to start spreading after he misquoted Kimberly."

Kim smiled and tugged on Ron's hand, leading him up the stairs to continue getting ready for the coming assignment. As a precaution, Kim declared they should both pack up their stuff, just in case they didn't make it back in time to catch the plane home with Ron's parents. As they were exiting their respective rooms dressed in their mission wear, Ron was stopped by his father, who happened to be carrying Hana.

"Another mission, Ronald?" Gene said with a smile.

Ron grinned as he straightened his blue shirt and black gloves. "Yeah, Dad. Should be back before you leave. But just in case we aren't, we both packed up our stuff in our suitcases."

"Brother careful?" Hana asked with a questioning frown.

"Hey, don't worry, Han," he replied as he took his sister from his father and hugged her. "We'll be just fine."

As the brother and sister hugged, Kim couldn't help but smile at the thought of him someday doing that with the kids the two of them would eventually have. Although she didn't know if they'd still be doing missions or not by that point, it still warmed her heart to think about Ron doing that even if he were only going on a business trip. Her thoughts were starting to drift even more when she felt a tug on her wrist, and found Ron holding Hana out to her. Kim smiled as she realized the little girl was reaching out to her, evidently wanting assurances from her as well.

"He's right, Hana. We'll be okay."

It might have surprised Kim to learn that Ron's thoughts as she hugged his little sister weren't too far from where her own had been just a few minutes earlier. But then again, it probably would have just made her smile all the more.

**…**  
**…**

Approximately an hour and fifteen minutes later, they were airborne in a high-speed chopper, crossing over the Atlantic. The helicopter had swung by Montana to pick up Joss first, and the two cousins were discussing the two Thanksgiving celebrations while Ron merely smiled.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kim replied in amazement. "Jim and Tim actually tried to rewire one of the robotic horses?"

Joss smiled. "What? Bout as crazy as you provin' you can actually cook something without burnin' it."

Kim laughed dryly. "All the good it did me. Ron's aunts still don't think I'm good enough for him."

Ron put his arm around her comfortingly. "Like I told you, KP, I don't care what they think." He turned towards Joss. "Speaking of dating, Kim tells me you got a new guy, Joss?"

Joss smiled. "Yeah, name's Clay. He's in my English class and we just started datin' a few weeks ago. Seems like a good guy, but Ah think Dad's tryin' to scare him off. He still thinks Ah'm too young and keeps threatenin' Clay with a ride on Ol' Tornado."

Kim giggled. "Kind of like Daddy and his constant threats to send anyone I dated to the nearest black hole. Must be some sort of father's prerogative. Though he hasn't been using that as much since Ron and I got engaged."

"Speakin' of Uncle James, d'you suppose he'd be okay with me stayin' with you for a few weeks this coming summer? Ah gots my first real rodeo coming up in Denver, and Dad's not too thrilled with the idea of me stayin' in a hotel with a bunch of strangers."

Ron cocked his eyebrow. "But how would you get to the event? Middleton is at best a half-hour's drive outside of Denver."

Joss shook her head. "Won't be a problem. Got a friend in Denver whose parents are gonna give me a ride back and forth. And before you ask, we already tried to have me stay with him and his family, but Dad won't allow it."

Kim smiled. "Well, I'd have to check with them, but I don't think Mom and Daddy would mind. Just as long as you understand they're probably going to expect you to follow their rules while you're there."

The rest of the flight was spent going over the details they already had on the mission and checking equipment. There was also a relatively short-lived discussion in which Joss asked about getting a battle suit of her own, but Kim declined on the basis that if Joss wasn't ready for the big villains yet, she certainly wasn't ready for the kind of firepower a battle suit mission called for.

"Joss, the only reason I took the battle suit on the Lil' Diablos mission was because I knew Shego was going to be even tougher than usual, and I knew I was going to have be better than normal because I was on a mission to not only stop Drakken but also to rescue Erik as well."

That's when it hit Kim square between the eyes just how blind she'd been to the whole sitch that led to her and Ron finally getting together. Put the plan Drakken had employed in front of her any other time, and she might have been able to crack it. But with her head so wrapped around the whole dating sitch and Bonnie's food chain, Synthodrone #901 had been the perfect distraction to keep her off her game. She turned towards Ron, who was merely smiling at her.

"That was what you meant, wasn't it?"

"What I meant when, KP?" he said, not losing his smile.

"When you mentioned during last summer that you were surprised I didn't figure out Drakken's plot sooner. You figured out that I had been too wrapped up in…_that thing_ to realize what was going on. And why you insisted on not spending all our time together."

Ron shifted a little in his seat, though the smile remained. "Actually, I wasn't sure what to think until you chose to believe me when I came in talking like a mad man about the Diablo toys being evil. To be honest, I wasn't a hundred percent sure if you were going to believe me then or not, but I knew I had to tell you. And as far as the not spending as much time together as possible, that was more because I wanted to make sure it was the real thing this time around, and not just some device that Drakken had hit you with."

Kim shook her head with a smile and snuggled up next to him. "And what do you think now?"

Ron smiled. "As real as it gets."

Joss rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shook her head. "You two're ridiculous, you know that?"

The mission itself was pretty much cut-and-dry: get the information, bust the crooks at their hideout on the nearby island of Aigina, contact the authorities, and return the device. In fact, they had everything wrapped up so quick that they were able to catch a little down time in Athens before heading back to the States. Or rather, they were forced to, as Wade hadn't anticipated such a quick turnaround and couldn't get them a ride right away. Ron used the opportunity to try an ethnic-style gyro ("It's a Greek taco, KP. How could I pass it up?"), and the three of them spent most of the downtime just relaxing while the strolled through the city. However, just before they were to catch a ride, Kim spotted someone she thought was supposed to be in Go City at the time.

"Hey Ron, does that woman look like Sheila to you?" she said as she turned to him and pointed.

He glanced where she was motioning and searched, but saw no one who looked like the mint-skinned former villainess. "Who are you talking about, KP?"

"Right…there…" she answered, but her reply was broken when she looked again and couldn't find the woman. "I swear I thought I just saw Sheila walking down the street."

Joss had also started scanning the crowd. "Ah dunno, Kim. Maybe you saw someone who only looks like her."

"Maybe…" Kim replied, not completely convinced.

However, at that moment their ride back State-side arrived, and the issue was put out of her mind. And as it turned out, Kim and Ron made it back to Connecticut with plenty of time to spare, showing up at the home of his grandparents around 8:00AM Sunday morning, right as everyone was eating breakfast. Ron was sorely tempted to crash out in bed immediately, but Kim shook her head.

"Ron, we can sleep on the plane, but right now we need to keep trying for a good impression on your family."

"Fine," he grumbled, although his senses did perk up quite a bit when he smelled the enticing aromas of Big Mama's fresh-made cinnamon rolls as they entered the front door.

However, thoughts of food were quickly shoved aside by the discussion once again reigning over the breakfast table. And once again, Aunt Alma sounded in peak-form as she attempted to lecture her younger sister.

"I'm serious, Jeanette. If you couldn't conceive, it was God's way of telling you not to have any more children," the elder Levinstein sibling said with an annoyed huff through her nose.

"And I'm telling you, Alma," Jean Stoppable replied, "that both Gene and I prayed long and hard about this before we decided to adopt Hana. We actually have been trying to have another child since Ron was seven, but it wasn't until just after Ron's seventeenth birthday when the doctor had me do that test that we realized we couldn't."

"So it took you ten years to listen to what God was telling you," Aunt Margot replied nastily. "And then you decided you didn't like his plan and chose to follow your own."

"And as far as we're concerned," Jean replied with a bristle, "that means that God wanted us to adopt from the beginning. And by choosing to hide the complication for so many years after the fact, He was blessing us by bringing Hana into our lives."

"Which is probably what He was doing," Big Mama agreed. "Alma, Margot, the two of you are assuming that you know Yahweh's plans when you both are fully aware that the Holy Words specifically state that no human knows the Grand Design that He has set for us."

"But Mother," Aunt Alma began before Big Mama cut her off.

"And furthermore, holding such narrow views is hardly appropriate of the Matriarch of this family, Alma. I thought you would have learned by now that a good leader, particularly a woman who guides her family, is open to all the suggestions she is given. I'm not saying you are out of the running, but you have certainly hurt your chances."

Kim and Ron chose that unfortunate moment to walk into the dining room.

"You," Aunt Alma hissed as she glared at Kim. "If not for you…"

But again Big Mama cut her eldest daughter off. "And don't even start blaming Ronald's fiancée, Alma. You failed this test all on your own."

Aunt Alma closed her mouth, forced a smile, and got up from the table without a word. As she left the room, Kim and Ron sat down, and Big Daddy placed three sets of plates in front of them. Rufus immediately hopped out of Ron's pocket, placed a large roll on his plate, and dove in hungrily.

"Hope you two weren't too rough on whoever you faced last night," Big Daddy commented as he reclaimed his seat. "Was it one of your big villains?"

Kim shook her head and smiled as she plucked a cinnamon roll from the center plate. "No. It was just some small-time crooks who stole some laser. They pretty much gave up the moment they saw us, so we didn't even really need our fighting skills."

Sam laughed. "Or they remember all the attention Ducky here got back in June and knew he was the one who repelled the invasion."

Ron smiled but sighed, wiping a bit of frosting from his lip. "C'mon, Sammy, why do you insist on calling me that?"

Kim giggled a bit. "Actually, Ron, I want to hear this story. I'm kind of curious what earns someone a nickname like that."

"Aww, man," he complained good-naturedly as the rest of the family (apart from Aunt Margot, Uncle Jacob, and Aunt Shannon of course) burst out laughing.

**…**  
**…**

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Predictably, Uncle Jacob, Aunt Margot, and their family were the first to leave, although Jordan, Sam, and their boyfriends stayed around to chat for a few hours afterwards. Aunt Shannon didn't do much last-day visiting, but Uncle Aaron more than made up for it as he asked Kim for more information about their missions. Those two left with their family shortly after lunch, leaving only the Stoppables, Kim, Aunt Alma, Big Mama, and Big Daddy—although Aunt Alma might as well have not been there as she spent the majority of the time avoiding the rest.

"Well, can't win them all," Big Daddy quipped as Kim and the Stoppables prepared to leave shortly after 2:00 that afternoon. "Though I must say I'm quite impressed with the young woman you've chosen to marry, Ronald."

"Thank you, Sir," Kim replied.

The old man let loose with a laugh. "If only we can get her to be more relaxed around us."

Big Mama grinned. "But seriously, you won't hear any complaints from me or Benjamin, Kimberly. And we'll be there when you two make it official." She turned to Ron's mother. "And Jean, don't you worry a thing about what we think of Hana—to tell the truth, I'm tempted to see if we can move down to Colorado to see her more."

Big Daddy smiled but shook his head. "And leave a house we've fully owned for going on twenty-five years now? I don't think so, woman."

The group all laughed as she nudged his arm with her fist, and Kim found herself wistfully hoping that she and Ron could still be that actively affectionate when they hit that age. She smiled as she was wrapped up in hugs by both of the Levinstein grandparents, and this time had no trouble returning them. Once they were on the plane back to Colorado, she did indeed keep to her word, as both she and Ron were lost in dreamland within ten minutes after takeoff.

* * *

Monique sighed as she lay on the couch in her Unit. Against her better judgment, and at Jamal's _heavy_ insistence, she'd brought Viktor with her to the Load house on Thursday for the Thanksgiving celebration. Wade had seemed fine, although Monique did learn that the young man had just broken up with his girlfriend (Katrina was it?) a few days earlier. However, the young tech genius had seemed inordinately…_happy_ about the turn of events, and the African-American beauty had noticed a bounce returning to his step that she hadn't realized she'd missed. She was content with Viktor Tretiov at that moment, but for some reason she couldn't explain she had had to keep reminding herself of that fact all throughout the meal and celebration.

To be honest, what she'd really needed ever since she'd gotten back to campus on Thursday evening was to be able to sit down and dish about the situation with her BFF. But she also knew that Kim was facing a big test that week, and that the last thing the red-head needed was to have her cell phone ringing in the middle of some big discussion with Ron's family. Although, Monique admitted with a chuckle, there hadn't been any news reports of hazmat teams being needed in the West Hartford, Connecticut area, so the visit had to have gone at least half-way well for the pair. The young woman smiled, wondering if Kim had pulled a miracle and managed to serve edible food. It still surprised Monique that a girl who could pull off insane flips and mind-blowing martial arts moves _and_ still maintain a very solid 4.0 GPA could manage to have trouble in the kitchen area, but she'd long ago given up trying to figure out that little puzzle—especially after the "fix dinner for Ron" fiasco she'd been a participant in the first summer the two were together. That disaster would be the first, last, and only time Monique would ever be in a kitchen while her BFF Kim Possible was in charge of the cooking.

There was also something else she needed to talk to Kim about—something that had been bugging her that she sorely felt she needed an outside opinion on. For the first few months of their relationship, Viktor had been nothing but sweet, but for the past few weeks things had seemed off. Monique couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but something appeared to have changed between her and the sophomore cornerback. She wondered if she was just being paranoid, if maybe the doubts she was having had more to do with her feelings towards Wade not fading than with an actual problem with Viktor. And since Kim was normally a pretty good judge of people's actions and what those meant about the person's character, Monique found herself sorely wanting her BFF's opinion on the matter. After all, if the blonde haired, brown-eyed boy was trouble, Monique wanted to know now rather than later. And if he wasn't, the African-American beauty needed her BFF's help to set her head straight.

**…**  
**…**

A few Units down the hall, Mitzy Drake was having similar thoughts. She and Vinnie James had been going through a rough patch in recent weeks, and the purple-haired G.V.U. junior couldn't figure out what the problem was. Lately, her boyfriend always seemed on edge, as if he were running behind schedule on something. However, every time she tried to get him to talk about it, he would clam up and not say anything. In fact, he almost seemed like a different person than the one who had asked her out on several dates the previous spring just before the aliens attacked. She'd first noticed it when they met back up in August, but now she was beginning to wonder if this was really what he was like. If it was, she didn't like what she was seeing, but she also wanted to hope that maybe he was just dealing with some personal stuff that he didn't want to burden her with.

Whatever the reason was, Mitzy knew that a serious talk with the blonde haired, brown-eyed quarterback was sorely needed.

* * *

It seemed that no sooner had Kim and Ron fallen asleep than they were being woken by his parents as the plane descended on Denver. The minute both were in Jean's SUV, however, they were out again—Ron leaning against the window while Kim used his chest for a pillow. The Stoppable parents looked at each other with smiles on their faces, and nodded. The Sloth would keep in Middleton until their son and his fiancée could pick it up, but both had expressed a need to be back at the G.V.U. campus that evening. After making sure Hana was still asleep, Gene drove to Upperton, and while Jean watched their daughter, helped both Kim and Ron up to their Units. The red-head and the blonde were pretty much zombies to the world, but they still managed to pull out their IDs and get their stuff in the building. Gene watched with a smile as Ron dropped his suitcases off at his Unit and then helped his love with her things. He smiled even more when Kim's friend Monique merely shook her head as the two drifted through the door of the girls' Unit and into Kim's room, and Ron tucked his half-asleep girlfriend into bed—though he was slightly surprised when the young man accompanied him back down to his own Unit and sleepily entered the room.

When he got back in the SUV, Jean noticed the peculiar look on her husband's face.

"What's wrong, honey?" she said with her mouth in a not-quite-frown position.

"Oh, nothing," Gene replied as he started the vehicle and turned towards Middleton. "But if what I just saw is any indication, I don't think your mother has to worry about the two of them and whether or not they'll be telling the truth when they wear white at their wedding."

* * *

Sheila Godfrey sighed as she glanced out over the water of Go City Bay, the lunar light reflecting off the calm waters giving the impression that there were two moons out that night. From her perch on one of the larger rocks on the shore of Go Tower Island, she watched a plane going through the sky by tracking its lights with her eyes, and frowned. Even if the Princess's techno boy was able locate her parents, she most likely wouldn't get to go see them now, as women in their third trimester were prohibited from flying. She supposed they could take one of the hovercraft Andy still owned, but more than likely it would all come down to whether or not her parents could be convinced to come back home.

It had taken some doing, but Sheila had managed to put together a decent wedding for her and her boyfriend. Of course it probably helped that her brothers had some pull around the city, what with being its official protectors. That wasn't to say that it was going to be large or snazzy affair—the two of them were after all former villains trying to reform their image—but it wouldn't be a slouch either. Really, the only problems (other than whether her parents would be there of course) were that she still hadn't heard from the Princess whether or not she accepted the Maid of Honor position, and that there was no guarantee on whether or not they would be able to keep the affair safe from the numerous villains that still plagued Go City.

Of particular interest was Mystica, who Sheila's brothers had been shocked to learn she had managed to neutralize while fighting solo and in her condition. Hego in particular had looked like he'd just been told to quit the hero business, and according to her older brother it had always taken all four of them to stop the dark enchantress. It also worried the eldest of the Godfrey siblings that his sister had apparently briefly lost control of her powers, even if it was only for a few seconds. Sheila frowned as she recalled the conversation that had followed when her blue-tinted brother had been the first to return to see the aftermath of the duel…

**…**  
**…**

"Sheila! What happened to the hangar bay?" he had said with a bit of worry and edge to his voice.

"Met up with an old friend," Sheila had replied. "By the way, you didn't tell me Misty Calloway turned villain."

"We weren't the only ones hurt when you left, Sheila," Hego had replied with a sad smile. "Misty actually tried to go undercover as a converted villain to find a way to bring you back to the side of justice. But if you act the villain long enough, eventually it consumes you. She started out pretty much like you did, but then she took it farther. One day about six months after you left, we found her robbing Go City National, and there wasn't much question she wasn't the same girl we used to fight alongside. To tell the truth, I think that may have been the beginning of the rest of us falling apart."

"So then why didn't you say something?"

Hego had frowned. "I was going to, but then we learned that you'd joined up with Dr. Drakken as his main enforcer, and the whole thing seemed moot. To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd ever rejoin the good side. That's part of the reason I was so hesitant to allow the two of you to come live here."

**…**  
**…**

Now Sheila couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Surprising both her and Andy, they actually liked living in Go City. Sheila especially found herself thrown for a loop by the turn of events, as she'd somewhat disliked living here when she was younger. And now she was planning to get married, settle down, and raise her children here in her hometown—all thanks to a somewhat buffoonish blonde young man and a young red-headed woman who she'd tried on numerous occasions to seriously hurt or injure and had attempted to play numerous malicious head games with. Funny how the world worked like that…

"Sheila?" she heard Andy's voice sound from somewhere up above her.

"Down here," she called.

"Where?" he replied, the tone he used making him appear somewhat confused.

"Right here," she replied with a sigh as she sent up a little bit of a sparkler with a small blast of her powers from one of her fingers.

As the glow descended, she heard the nearest door to Go Tower slide open, and heard her boyfriend's footsteps on the rocky beach. Turning, she saw in the moonlight the flower vine that grew out of his neck waving cheerfully at her, and it caused her to giggle a bit. She also noticed with a smile that he was carrying a blanket, and it was only then that she realized just how much the night air was chilling her. As he draped the blanket over her shoulders, she smiled.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"What are you thinking about?" he said as he sat down on the rock beside her.

"Anything, everything, and nothing," she replied with just a trace of her old snarkiness, although the smile on her face remained genuine. "I didn't really have a chosen topic on my mind. How about you?"

Andy smiled. "Well…nnnngg…I guess I would have to say that I've been…ummm…thinking about what I'm going to do after the wedding. I mean, I can't very well sit around here all day doing nothing. Not to mention my inventing muse is starting to get backed up. I'm also kind of curious to learn what I can about this whole plant thing."

"Not planning to get rid of it, are you?" she replied with a bit of a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "Cause to tell the truth I kind of like the way you're able to…_use_ that vine before we fall asleep."

Andy shook his head, though she could see the blush that formed on his cheeks. "No, just wanting to understand it more. Although I will say I'm tempted to maybe do something with it since I seem to be able to control other plants as well."

"Other plants?" she said with a questioning eye.

"Like so," he replied with a smile, pulling out a closed up red rose that immediately sprang to fully open even though it had already been cut and was barely more than the size of a boutonnière.

Sheila smiled as she accepted the flower and sniffed it gently. That was one thing she'd learned she really liked about her blue-skinned lover during the time they'd spent here—he could be unexpectedly romantic at the most normal of times. She sighed with contentment as she leaned her head on his shoulder and they stared out over the calm waters of the bay.

* * *

Kim was surprised to wake up where she did early the next morning. She couldn't remember getting off the plane, nor did she have any recollection of how she'd gotten back to her dorm and into her Unit. But more surprising than that was the fact that Ron wasn't with her. Although they had originally decided back at the start of the school year that they most likely needed to spend as much time sleeping in their own rooms as possible, they couldn't even fill three weeks with the number of times they'd actually spent the night apart. She glanced at the clock, and grumbled when she realized it was only 4:00AM. She knew from previous experience that waking up as she had, with her eyes slowly opening, meant that she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so she stretched out her limbs and climbed out of bed.

As she got her shower, Kim couldn't help but think over the events of the trip. As much as she'd tried, even pulling off a miracle and acing the turkey dilemma, Ron's aunts had refused to accept her. Of course, as Ron and his parents had pointed out, she'd impressed his grandparents, the only two whose opinions really mattered to her sandy-haired love. According to them, Kim was perfect for their grandson, and they had expressed that they would be there when the wedding took place. In fact, the only thing that either of the two elder Levinsteins had commented on (other than that she needed to relax more around her future relatives) was that they expected her and Ron to be telling the truth when they wore the white colors on their wedding day. That thought brought the subject of having a serious discussion about the issue with Ron to the front of her mind, and she made a determined mental note to have that talk before the week was up. Smiling at her decision, she headed back into her room to get ready for the day.

As luck would have it, Kim got her wish sooner than she'd expected—that evening in fact. Monique had a date with Viktor, and Felix had headed across town to see Zita again. And surprisingly, neither Kim nor Ron had any homework that night. So it was that they found themselves in the girls' Unit watching some early nineties romantic comedy movie about a businessman and a streetwalker, with Ron stretched out and Kim lying with her head on his chest and his arm around the top of her back. Maybe it was the female lead's profession, or maybe it was simply the fact that had they wanted to, Kim and Ron could have been doing the very thing the two people were starting to do on screen at that very moment. Whatever the reason, Kim was surprised at the comment Ron decided to make at that exact moment.

"You know, Sam and Jordan both asked me this week if you and I had gone all the way."

Kim blinked a few times. "And what did you tell them, Ronnie?"

Ron smiled and kissed the top of her head. "That as of right now we would both be wearing our white honestly."

Kim grinned and leaned up to plant a light kiss on his lips. "So you're still thinking we should wait?" she said softly, doing her absolute best to keep any trace of anything that might be construed as disappointment out of her voice.

Ron sighed. "Honestly, KP…I don't have an answer for that. I mean, yes, I want you like that. I mean, you're beautiful, and I'd be crazy not to. But I also want it to be something special for both of us."

Kim smiled and lay her head back down on his chest, although she did run her hand up and down his free arm a few times. "Same thing here, honestly. But you do realize we've never actually sat and talked about this, right? I mean, I know we've glossed over the subject, but we've never really had a serious discussion about it without at least one of us being…_ready_ for it to happen right then."

Ron shrugged a bit. "Well, if you're up for the talk right now, I can say for certain that I'm not ready to go at the moment."

Kim looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh really? Then what's that pressing against my leg. Because I know for a fact that's not a naked mole rat in your pocket, and your cell phone is sitting on the counter over there."

The young man shifted a bit, and wouldn't look her in the eyes for a second. "Well…as I said…umm…you're beautiful…and…well…uhhh…"

"Just teasing you," she said with an affectionate nip on his neck. "But back to the matter, Ron. What is your honest view on the sitch?"

Ron sighed. "Well, I do kind of want to be able to say we waited for our wedding night. And to tell the truth when you wear a white dress and I wear the white rose and yarmulke."

"But…" Kim supplied, sensing the contradiction coming.

"But," the blonde echoed with a smile, "I'm also not entirely sure if I'll make it until after we graduate from this place. And even if we do manage to make it that far, I can about guarantee, just from what I know about us, that we're not going to have the ceremony the minute we toss our caps in the air. Plus, I've kind of been entertaining the idea of getting a place with you at one of the apartment complexes around here at some point."

Kim couldn't resist the smile that spread across her face, complete with a small biting of her lower lip. "And what makes you think Daddy would let the two of us do something like that?" she teased with a light tap of her finger on his nose.

Ron let out a goofy grin. "Why I said I've been _entertaining_ the idea and not actually _planning_ it. What about you? What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Kim sighed, and crossed her arms over his chest to support her chin. "Me? I keep thinking back to something my mom said this summer."

"Which would be…what?"

"She said, 'If you want to do it because you love each other it shows that you love each other, and that's the right reason. Having sex to prove your love only shows that you're willing to do whatever it takes to be together, regardless of if there's love there or not.' And while I do love you, Ron, and I know you love me, I'm not sure at the moment which one it would be called if we did sleep together right now. But I kind of get the idea that it would be the second one at this point in time, and we'd regret it if we did."

Ron smiled, and guided her lips softly to his. "Then I say we wait, KP. And when it's the right time, it'll be the right time. Whether that time comes tomorrow or after we graduate, I think we'll know."

"Sound like a plan to me," she replied, lovingly returning both the smile and the kiss. However, the movie was soon forgotten as the kiss became a romantic make-out session that was more loving than heated.

And that is how Monique found them when she came in the room a few hours later, having just returned from her date with Viktor and walking on a cloud with a smile on her face.

* * *

Gerhardt frowned as he scanned through the emails he'd received as Agent Alpha, searching for the answers he needed. He knew he would not be receiving any notifications from Agent Five, as that particular WEE operative had not contacted him in several weeks now. He also suspected he would not be receiving any sort of positive notification from Agent Two, as he was betting she was the main reason for Agent Five's vanishing off the grid. However, of the remaining spies stationed at Global Vanguard U., only Agent One and Agent Six had reported anything signaling they were ready for the final directive of the plan. Agents Three and Four had both been giving regular updates, but the news they sent back to Agent Alpha was rarely if ever good.

However, as his eyes reached the recent emails the beady orbs lit up, as two pieces caught his gleaming stare.

_Agent Alpha,_

_ All preparations complete. Ready to proceed with Final Stage._

_ Agent Four._

And the other email was even sweeter, as it contained a notice Gerhardt had been waiting to see ever since he and Gemini had sent the six junior agents in to infiltrate the Global Justice sponsored college.

_Agent Alpha,_

_ Infiltration successful. Team Possible suspects nothing. Now at optimum position to inflict most damage. Awaiting further instructions._

_ Agent Three._

Gerhardt smiled evilly, his dark black mustache twitching in anticipation—both of the still-loyal agents who had infiltrated Team Possible's lives were ready to proceed. Quickly, he printed off both emails, and practically sprinted up to Gemini's command chair, his steps nearly becoming fantastic bounds of excitement.

"Ahh, Agent Alpha," the twisted leader of the WEE said with a sinister smile. "I take it you have good news to report?"

"Yes, Sir, Gemini," Gerhardt replied, handing the patch-eyed man the two emails. "We are now completely on schedule with all operations. By all accounts and submitted reports, the Final Stage shall occur on New Year's Eve as promised."

"Excellent, Agent Alpha," Gemini replied coolly. "But what do you plan to do about Agent Two? If your suspicions are correct, she may attempt to sabotage our plans. She is a loose end that must be tied up."

Gerhardt sneered, and for the first time, Gemini found himself wondering how this man could have ever been an agent for his sister's organization. There was a raging fire behind those beady brown eyes, and the WEE leader did not like what else he saw there—a dangerous ambition to do anything for self-promotion.

"I am going to send out word to all the other agents. She will be dealt with, Gemini, permanently if necessary. Of that I promise you."

**…**  
**…**

Back on the G.V.U. campus around 1:00 in the morning, a laptop closed after the new orders were received. The owner of the laptop glanced back at the woman standing behind him in his dorm room. She had been looking over his shoulder and reading, and he frowned deeply, pulling a little at the neck of his football jersey.

"They know about you, Katie," he said with a concretely serious tone. "The rest of us just received orders to take you out, and that the one who does it and can provide the proof will be rewarded handsomely."

Katie smiled. "Then I would say it's a good thing I managed to turn you to the good side, V."

V shook his head, still not losing his frown. "Maybe, but I still don't think the two of us are going to be able to stop this thing alone. Plus, I know that regardless of what happens I'll have to pay for my part in all this. And I'll probably lose her over it as well."

Katie's smile faded a bit as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "V, if she really loves you it'll work itself out. And I'm sure she's going to appreciate that you're trying to fix things now. I can't promise she won't break up with you, but at least she's not as likely to hate you if she knows you tried to make things right."

V sighed, fingering the photo strip of him and his girlfriend, her smile slowly giving him strength as he wished to be able to still see it after the turn of the year. "Are you sure we can't tell Kim and Ron about this whole thing? We both know they're better prepared for these kinds of things when they're at least partway clued in to what's happening."

Katie shook her head. "According to my orders, Gemini has to think he's successful right up until the last moment. It's the only way we can flush out all of the double agents he's got hidden here at G.V.U., and the only way we'll have a shot at getting rid of all of them."

V let out another sigh, running his hand tiredly through his blonde hair. "I know, but I still wish I could tell her," he replied, pointing at the photo strip. "Even if she dumped me over it, I'd rather tell her now than wait until the ensuing chaos this is going to cause."

Katie shook her head sympathetically. "If we can find out who the other two agents are before this thing hits, you can tell her. But otherwise, I'm sorry."

* * *

Wade stretched his neck to first one side and then the other, closing his eyes as he took a break. He'd exhausted every lead he could come up with so far, and was still no closer to finding D.N. Amy and Alfred Bates. He'd tried everything, but up to this point he'd gotten nothing but goose eggs in return. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes, staring sleepily at the clock, which now read 3:00 AM. If he hadn't graduated from both high school and college by the age of nine, he knew his parents would be shooing him off to bed, but they had long ago given up that fight since he had pulled that feat. He blinked slowly a few times, and then returned his gaze to his main monitor.

Deciding he needed to take some sort of break from the whole "Revival of Monkey Fist" area, he turned his attentions towards the search for Sheila's parents, Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey. Pulling up the photo of Hego and the pair, he transferred the Bates/D.N. Amy search to automated status on his free system, and pulled the Godfrey search over to the main unit. Cracking his knuckles out, he set to work. And for perhaps the first time since he'd started the search, he managed to get a solid hit on their location!

It wasn't completely set in stone, as he couldn't be sure of whether Sheila's parents were just visiting or actually staying where he'd pinpointed them, but there could be no question that the spy satellite he'd tapped over the country of Italy had managed to capture a definitive picture of Sheridan and Heathcliff Godfrey. However, as he studied the video the technology had taken, he couldn't help but feel just a little worried. After all, the two looked like they were trying to hide from everything, and it was apparently only a gust of wind that had removed his hat and her hood and sunglasses. Even more alarming, it seemed they were being followed by a pair of men in black suits, one bald and one with a scar on his face. Thankfully neither Baldy nor Scarface appeared to notice them as they ducked into a building, but Wade's hand still drew back from the call button to alert Kim and Ron to his findings. After all, if he sent them in to face the unknown, they could be seriously hurt, and it would be all the young man's fault. No, more intelligence was needed here before action could be taken. But at least he now had something concrete to offer to Sheila and Andy.

But then he paused. Why exactly were Sheila's parents trying to hide from those two thugs, and why had they faked their own deaths yet continued to keep in contact with only Hego? Wade supposed it could have something to do with the technology Andy had informed him that Dr. Godfrey was working on, but it had evidently been years ago when she created that…even if it was one of the primary reasons Sheila needed to find them now, it still shouldn't have been a reason for a pair of Italian thugs to be looking for them. For some reason, Wade couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than he had been told, and he suspected a certain blue-toned superhero knew more than he had told his mint-skinned sister and her boyfriend…

* * *

The remains of November brought with them a cold snap that brought the first real snow of the season to Upperton, Colorado. Everywhere one looked, the landscape had transformed from the red, golds, and tans of autumn into the white and brown of winter. Those few trees that had not lost their leaves quickly became bare as they started their winter rest, and the snow chilled anyone still foolish enough to go out in shoes that weren't well insulated. However, instead of enjoying it like they wanted to, Kim and Ron found themselves bogged down in schoolwork as the end of their first semester at G.V.U. loomed just a couple weeks away. In fact, it seemed their first few days back with no homework had been nothing more than an attempt to lure them into a false sense of security.

The upside of this was that it meant a lot of time spent studying together, but the downside is that it also meant a lot of time studying alone. Ron in particular began locking himself in his room, and Kim was starting to notice some light circles starting to form under his eyes. She could tell he was stressing, much as he'd done the last few weeks of high school, but unfortunately there wasn't much she could do other than be supportive of him and help when he let her. However, one afternoon, she found herself unable to sit idly by while he attempted to torture himself by studying until his overstuffed brain could take no more. And thanks to the fact that they'd given each other their spare gold keys, he couldn't just hide in his Unit. But that didn't stop him from retreating into the confines of his room.

"Ron, come out. Please?" she called through the door. "You're running yourself ragged over this."

No response, other than a shuffling of papers and textbooks.

"Ron, I'm not leaving until you come out. And Felix told me on his way out to the library that he saw you take that Super Grande-sized Slurpster in there with you. Sooner or later it's going to come calling."

She smiled as she heard a quiet "Aww, man," issue from behind the door. She stared knowingly at the door as it slowly opened, and Ron's haggard face poked out cautiously. The instant he saw her, he immediately tried to shut the door, but Kim was too quick, pulling a series of moves that in no time flat had him on his stomach on the main room couch with no shirt and her massaging his shoulders.

"KP, I've really got to focus on this. Chef Angelo's giving us a blind prep exam in addition to our written one, and I have to be ready for whatever he throws at us." He tried to get up, but she easily thwarted his efforts.

"Meaning what exactly?" she said as she continued her ministrations, kneading out the knots of tension she was surprised he could still move with.

"Ever seen an episode of _Sliced_?"

Kim grinned. "Ron, I'm dating a future chef. Of course I've watched it. They give each contestant a basket with four ingredients, and the chefs have to come up with the best, most original dish they can." Then it hit her. "Ohhh, so he's going to give you some ingredients, and you have to make that work?"

Ron sighed. "Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated than that. We're going to be given the side items, and we have to come up with the best main course that will be complimented by but not overshadow the side dishes. And we have to use what we've learned in the class as much as possible."

"Sounds rough," she replied as she finally managed to get some of the knots in his back and shoulders to start loosening. "How long will you have?"

"All day if we need it," he replied with a grimace. "Saturday, December 9th, my address will be the Introduction to Cooking classroom."

"Ron," she said as she gently turned him over on to his side, "you are an amazing chef, and you'll do just fine."

"But what if I can't, KP?" he countered, and she could both sense and hear the very real worry in his voice.

"Ron…" she began, but his torrent continued.

"KP, what if I can't do this?" he added as he rose to a sitting position. "I mean, sure I want to be able to own my own restaurant someday, but honestly, when have my abilities ever really been tested? I mean, sure, I impressed Mr. Barkin back at Middleton High enough to be able to take over teaching the Home Ec class, and maybe I was good enough to take over cafeteria duty. But the truth is I've never really had an assignment when it comes to this stuff. I've always just gone with the flow and made what I felt like making. What if under pressure I can't do this?"

Kim smiled, and kissed his cheek as she snuggled up next to him on the couch. "Ron, you've had assignments plenty of times. Practically everything about our high school Home Ec class was assigned cooking prior to you becoming the teacher. And when you were in charge of the cafeteria, or _Chez Ron_ as some of our classmates called it, you had to stick to the school's general menu right? And what about that ferociously amazing feast you fixed on my birthday?"

Ron shook his head before burying his face in his hands. "KP, all those times I was cooking for you or to impress you. But this isn't like that."

Kim wasn't sure whether to be surprised or put off, so she came off as somewhere in between. "Ron, it still seems the same to me."

"Well it's not," he fired with more anger than he meant to, but he quickly calmed back down. "I'm sorry, but Kim this isn't the same. These instructors can literally tell me, 'You can't cook,' and a lot of people out there are going to side with them. Do you know how hard it is to get started as your own chef in the restaurant business if noted people say you can't cook? It's next to impossible."

Kim put her arm around his shoulders. "Ron, come out with me. Just for an hour or two. We can go to the Pit, the Blue Wolf, or the Upperton Mall, or whatever you want to do. But let's just get away from this for a bit. Please?"

Ron grimaced and turned his head away. "KP, if I do that, how am I gonna get all these possible recipes memorized?"

She shook her head. _Sorry, Ron. I didn't want to do this with you feeling this way, but you leave me no choice._

"Ronnie?" she said softly.

Although he knew what was coming, Ron looked at her anyway. Sure enough, her eyes were getting bigger, and her bottom lip was starting to flip upside down and quiver. He sighed and looked down again, then back at her, unable to remove the smile that was starting to creep its way across his face. However, Kim knew he wasn't hooked just quite yet, and kept the look going, pushing her signature Puppy Dog Pout to its fullest capacity.

"Alright, you win," he finally replied.

"Boo Yeah," she replied as the frown instantly flipped upright into a smile and she handed him his helmet. "And I think this calls for the Phoenix to stretch its wings."

As it turned out, a few hours spent out of the dorm with the love of his life by his side were exactly what Ron needed, evidenced by the fact that by the time they pulled into the Patriot Towers parking lot later that evening, his goofy grin had returned. As they walked towards the dorms, motorcycle helmets in one hand and the others laced together, he turned and placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, KP. That date was perfect."

"This evening is perfect," she replied as she wrapped her arms around his free one and laid her head on his shoulder.

**…**  
**…**

Less than twenty yards away, Dack grinned as he pulled a .38 out of his pocket. To hell with the jerk that had put him up to this, that had been driving the senior along with little hints and suggestions. And to hell with the guy's wanting to humiliate and not harm Ron Stoppable. Most importantly, to hell with the idiot's constant misuse of grammar by always saying "We is."

_It's time for Possible to be mine, Stoppable. Which means your time is up._

Smirking, he braced himself against over the gate that enclosed the buildings dumpster behind which he was hiding and took aim at the arrogant blonde freshman's back. Taking a deep breath of excited anticipation at the thought of Kim holding his arm as he accepted the Heisman, he squeezed the trigger.

* * *

a/n

I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all my readers, as **Changes** recently crossed the 12k hit mark, while this story has just gone over the 10k mark! Combined with **Why Didn't You Tell Me Sooner?** (which I do promise to finish in the very near future), I've now hit 23k total hits! And it's all thanks to you! *series of HUGE BOWS* THANK YOU! :D

And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. Who knows?-your comment could add a new twist to the story. After all, it has happened before. :)


	24. Chapter 24

A/N

Chapter 24 is up and running!

Dack's gone over the edge, and now Kim and Ron have to face the consequences. And amidst the turmoil, some startling revelations...

Kim and Ron have to deal with the fallout from the confrontation, and it leads to a special moment between them.

A pair of allies discuss their plans and countermeasures...and maybe something a little more...

Ron and his teammates face the final game of the season, and there's more at stake than just a win or loss. And during the game, a peek at someone's heart...

Finally, a hitch in a plan could be either good or bad...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Less than twenty yards away, Dack grinned as he pulled a .38 out of his pocket. To hell with the jerk that had put him up to this, that had been driving the senior along with little hints and suggestions. And to hell with the guy's wanting to humiliate and not harm Ron Stoppable. Most importantly, to hell with the idiot's constant misuse of grammar by always saying "We is."

_It's time for Possible to be mine, Stoppable. Which means your time is up._

Smirking, he braced himself against over the gate that enclosed the buildings dumpster behind which he was hiding and took aim at the arrogant blonde freshman's back. Taking a deep breath of excited anticipation at the thought of Kim holding his arm as he accepted the Heisman, he squeezed the trigger.

Kim heard the shot just as she leaned up to kiss Ron's cheek, and a split-second later felt something white hot singe her hair where it still touched the young man's shirt just below the tip of her chin, followed by a small series of sparks that were seen as the bullet impacted on and imbedded itself in the solid metal door that led into Patriot Towers. Immediately her senses went on full alert, and she could feel the charge in the air as Ron's did the same. However, unlike her, his reaction manifested itself in a bright blue flaming aura that immediately surrounded him in the shape of a monkey. The force of that aura springing up was so sudden and strong that Kim found herself being pushed backwards by the sheer pressure of it!

She looked at him, and again felt something she'd never expected to ever feel towards Ron: fear. Standing there bathed in the blue light exuded by her love, she found herself actually afraid of him! He looked at her, and though she could sense the love and concern in his gaze, she could not see it—all she saw was the determination to protect her. Unable to even look at him with a strong face, she turned away, lest he see the terror she couldn't remove from her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, and turned back to him. And as she looked a second time, she hit upon a startling revelation: it wasn't him she was afraid of—what she was suddenly finding herself fearful of was the idea of being potentially left behind. Kim Possible, the girl who could do anything, was afraid of being considered obsolete compared to the powers of her fiancé Ron Stoppable! She shook her head to focus it, and the intruding thoughts faded a bit, although they would not disappear no matter how much she tried to force them too.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked, his voice carrying the concern his eyes did not.

Kim took a deep breath and smiled, realizing that unlike the last time his powers had broken loose, when he'd belted Dack a few weeks earlier, Ron was in complete and total control of his abilities. "Other than a bullet-hole through my hair, just fine." _And worried about the fact that you could go solo and I couldn't stop you_, she felt her brain unwillingly add before she could stop herself.

Ron's concerned gaze scanned over her, and when he saw the singed hairs she was referring to his eyes narrowed. Immediately, he began searching behind them…and saw the gun poking out over the gate to the dumpster. Seeing the weapon was like a light switch, and his aura restricted down to a more controlled form-fitting bubble complete with monkey tail.

"That's our shooter," he declared as he dropped into an attack pose and motioned with his hard gaze.

Kim looked where he was staring, and saw the gun barrel poking out at them like an intruding eye. The sight of the object that had nearly seriously injured one or maybe both of them immediately galvanized her into action, and quick as a flash she back flipped over to the gate and grabbed the would-be assailant by the arm, flinging the person hard and fast out from behind the gate and into a nearby snow pile. When the shooter stood up and faced her, his dark hair, hazel eyes, and football letterman's jacket caused Kim's eyes to shoot wide.

"Dack?" she said incredulously. "What the heck do you think you're doing? You could have killed one of us!"

"If it had hit Stoppable, I could finally claim what's rightfully mine," he replied as he simultaneously grabbed her wrist and pointed the gun at Ron once more.

Kim wasted no hesitation as she quickly broke the hold. "_What's yours_?" she exclaimed bitterly. "I was never _yours_ to begin with."

"Yes, you are, Kimberly," he replied. "You just don't know it yet." The entire time, the gun in his other hand remained trained squarely on Ron's chest.

"No! I'm not!" she snapped. "And if you think shooting the man I'm really in love with gonna somehow make me love you instead, you're even more delusional than I thought!"

Suddenly Kim felt a whooshing breeze brush softly against her cheek, and before she knew it Ron was standing there next to her—more surprisingly, she hadn't even seen him move.

"How did…?" Dack grunted angrily, swinging the .38 around to retrain on Ron's chest.

However, the reaction never reached completion. In a flash, Ron had blocked the sweeping of the arm, popped Dack's forearm, and grabbed the pistol as it flew out into the air. He quickly tossed it off to the side and out of reach, where the still hot barrel caused it to sink right through the snow. Then the aura flames disappeared, and though his eyes remained cobalt blue, Ron's hair ceased to wave other than what the cold, late-November evening wind was causing.

"You're completely nuts, dude," the blonde retorted. "Kim hates guns, and the fact that you're using one to try and get with her shows just how little you _really_ know about her."

Dack smirked and threw a hard punch directly at Ron's face. "What I know is that _any_ guy who has her on his arm can't lose. _At anything_. Just look at you. You could be the Loser of the Millennium, and yet here you are all 'Big Man on Campus.' If someone like me gets her by my side, I'm a shoe-in for not just the Heisman, but the NFL Hall of Fame as well."

Ron easily side stepped the maneuver, as well as the one that followed. "You think that's why I'm with her? Man, you don't get it at all."

Now the senior was fuming, and continued to throw punches at Ron's face. "Oh really? Then explain it to me, Freshman! Cause by all the Rules, she should rightfully be with me since _I'm_ the star of the football team and the reigning Big Man on Campus!"

Ron didn't reply, and merely twitched his upper body left and right, forward and back—almost like a crazy monkey—to avoid the attacks. Kim found herself amazed at how easily he was dodging—not just parrying the blows, but actually making Dack convincingly miss completely without so much as a drop of sweat or a hint of heavy breathing! It was then that it dawned on her: this was what Ron would have to be able to do at will if they were forced to face off against a revived Monkey Fist. It also hit her that this was what Wade had meant when he said that Ron would have to be the one to take on the crazed and newly-powered-up simian villain. Kim was good with her sixteen forms of kung fu and her acrobatics, no question, but she knew she couldn't pull this kind of feat at this kind of speed or faster. However, the revelation about the sitch also presented her with a new problem—how could they get Ron to be able to do this whenever he wanted?

To this point, Kim had only seen him in complete control of his Mystical Monkey Power like this twice: once when he'd fought against Warhok and Warmonga, and now here against Dack. Every other time she'd ever witnessed her love use his hidden abilities, it had been something random and uncontainable. Even Ron himself had personally admitted before that the power was a come-and-go sort of thing that he couldn't seem to control when he needed to. And according to both Yori and Sensei, only once prior to Ron defeating the Lorwardians had the powers become something physical—when the young man had pulled the finishing move on his duel with Fukushima during the battle near the end of his student exchange at the Yamanouchi School. It was like lightning in a bottle—and now the question was how to get the blonde to be able to harness it when he needed it most.

As Kim watched the fight, it became clear to her that they were going to have to step up their training, particularly his. Ron had proven with his football practices that he had hidden reserves of energy, and could call on them when necessary. And now Kim knew that she would have to get him to push his limits to that point, to where he needed to rely on his Mystical Monkey Power to keep going—until it became like a second nature to him. Whether Ron liked it or not, she was going to have to push him, and push hard. In short, she was going to have to become the dreaded Coach Possible with him!

A few feet away, blissfully oblivious to the thought process running through his fiancée's head, Ron continued evading the blows Dack was throwing at him. "Dack, man, think about this. Even if you disregard the fact that Kim has already said she won't feel anything for you no matter what you do, you're being really stupid about the whole thing. Kim hates guns, and you use one to try to be with her. You know she and I are tight, not just as girlfriend/boyfriend but as best friends, and you tried to kill me. And now you're throwing everything you've got at me in a fit of rage, when Kim has told the media numerous times she'd rather see a problem talked out than fought out." He ducked low and looked up at the senior from a monkey-style crouch. "No matter how you slice it, this is probably the worst way in the world to even become friends with her."

"But if I take you out, it'll prove to her that I'm better than you!" Dack replied with a bull-headed glare. "It'll prove that I'm better for her than some nothing loser like you!"

Ron sighed, and stole a glance over at Kim while he continued to evade. "KP, I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to react to this. Talking's just not getting through to him."

"No, Ron," the red-head replied calmly but urgently. "You and I both know that with the fight training we have it wouldn't be right."

Ron smiled as he dodged another strike. "Figured you say that. So then what do you propose?"

"Hey, I've got an idea," snarled Dack, his dark hair beginning to mat to his face as the sweat of his exertion continued to build. "How about you stand still and take a punch like a man?"

"I could," the young man replied, "but then this whole thing would be a waste of time, wouldn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" roared the senior as he threw his quickest, most vicious punch to that point…and still hit nothing but air.

"What are you saying, Ron?" Kim replied with an equally confused look.

"KP, he's trying to prove he's better than me. So wouldn't it be a moot point if I just stood here and faced the punches he throws like some target dummy?"

Kim had to admit that made a weird kind of sense, and was about to reply when Vinnie and Viktor both emerged from the same door that now had a bullet-hole in it.

"Yo, what happened to the door…WHAT THE HELL?" yelled Viktor.

Vinnie looked equally as shocked. "DACK! RON! WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Kim looked at them, the worry on her face telling them what had probably happened before her words did. "Dack tried to shoot Ron! And now he's gone completely crazy!" she replied with a calm urgency to her voice. "He thinks this will impress me, and Ron and I can't seem to convince him otherwise!"

Vinnie whistled at the site before him. "So then why doesn't Ron just sock him one?"

Viktor also ran a hand through his hair in surprise. "Yeah. I mean, it looks like Ron's just playing with him.

Kim shook her head. "Vinnie, Viktor, you both know that Ron and I are trained for this kind of thing. Dack's not. If something happened to him because of something Ron did, he could be in serious trouble."

"Uhhh…still need a suggestion on how to end this here," quipped Ron as he snaked around another strike from Dack like a dancing monkey avoiding a predator. "I'm just saying."

Vinnie turned to Kim. "Where's the gun?"

Kim pointed at the gun-shaped hole the weapon had made as it sank in the snow. "There. No one's touched it since Ron tossed it."

Viktor smiled. "Okay, you guys wait here. I'm going to call the University PD." With that, he dashed inside.

"So then what do we do?" Vinnie replied.

"Could try to help me end this," Ron called a little more urgently, his breathing finally starting to catch up to his erratic movements.

"Oh sure, call your Protectors," Dack taunted. "On your missions it's your girlfriend saving your butt, and on the field it's James. C'mon, Stoppable, prove you're a man and fight me."

"Not my style, buddy," Ron replied, the annoyed tick in his voice barely noticeable.

Kim found herself smiling. "Actually, Dack, Ron's proving he's a bigger man than you by _not_ fighting back."

Ron paused for a moment to return her smile, and that second's hesitation was all the window Dack needed, as he planted a hard right cross directly on Ron's left eye. The response was a reflex action and nothing more, but as Ron back flipped out of the strike he caught Dack on the chin with his foot. The unexpectedly powerful blow sent the senior straight up in the air about five feet, and he came down hard enough to sprawl him out flat. Had he hit the asphalt of the parking lot or even the grass around the curb, it would have done serious damage, but luckily for him he landed in a snow drift that the school's maintenance had created when they plowed the lot. However, Dack still looked completely surprised that it had taken only one blow for Ron to essentially hand the dark-haired young man his own butt on a silver platter.

Vinnie immediately dashed over to hold him down, and Viktor returned at just that moment and helped him. Kim on the other hand, rushed over to Ron to hug him tight, noticing with relief that his eyes had quickly returned to the chocolate brown she routinely fell in love with anew every day, even if the left one was probably going to start closing from the sucker punch in a bit. To counteract that, and despite Ron's protests, she picked up some of the cleanest, whitest snow she could find and held it to the area. About a minute later the campus police arrived, and two officers took over custody of Dack from Vinnie and Viktor, who had not let him up even after he kicked both of them in the shins and socked Vinnie in the nose and Viktor on the cheek. The incident report took relatively little time, particularly with the presence of the gun and the bullet the police recovered from the door as pretty hard evidence against Dack.

"Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, are you hurt in any way?" Captain Raymond said with a worried glance at Kim's hair and Ron's face.

Ron shook his head, although it was pretty obvious his eye was starting to swell. "Nothing more than what we normally get from a run in with one of the regular super-villains," he replied with a goofy grin.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about a thing on that," the old man replied. "From what you two have told me that kick to Mr. Daniel's chin was purely defensive. And from what Mr. Tretiov and Mr. James tell me, you were trying to avoid it from the start."

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. "Good to hear, Sir."

Captain Raymond smiled. "Okay, I think we've got everything we need from you two. Why don't you go take care of that eye, son?"

Ron nodded, and he and Kim were about to head in when they heard Dack yelling.

"This isn't over Stoppable! Possible will be mine!"

Kim shook her head in disgust, and she and Ron entered the building. The door closed behind them just as he shouted, "And don't think I'll forget this, Vi—".

* * *

Word of the confrontation between Dack and the couple spread like wildfire the next day, so that by lunchtime it seemed the whole campus had heard about the incident. It also appeared that it was all anyone could talk about, even as final exams loomed ever closer. The students became so fascinated with the fight that a couple people actually tried to steal the door the bullet had hit by removing the hinges. In response to that, the campus maintenance department, which was normally notoriously slow with repairs on anything to do with the dorms, replaced the door by that afternoon (although it was whispered among some of the student body that the workers who replaced it kept the original door for themselves as a trophy).

The other side affect, however, was a lot more annoying. Ron's popularity on campus had been steadily increasing as his on the field stats climbed higher, but this fight shot the young man's campus appeal to new heights in a matter of hours. It got to be so bad that more than once that day, Kim and Ron got separated by the mob. Even Coach Devereaux, who had always allowed open attendance of his practices by students, had to close off the field so his players could actually get some work done. Needless to say, Kim and Ron were grateful for the solitude of their dorm when they finally got back around five on Wednesday afternoon.

"Will we ever have a normal school experience?" Ron quipped as they sat on the couch in his Unit, him holding an ice pack to his black eye while Kim cuddled at his side, the only noise the ticking of the clock on the wall. Surprisingly, at least to her, both the television and the radio remained off at his insistence.

"Whatever happened to 'Never be normal,'?" she said with a knowing grin.

"To tell the truth, KP, I'd trade just about everything we do for just one normal week at this funny farm," he replied as he shifted his ice pack to remove the corner of a cube from an uncomfortable position.

"Just about everything?" she teased. "And what, pray tell, would you keep?"

Ron halfway grinned as he looked at her with his good eye. "Well, the stuff we do as a couple is pretty badical, so I'd have to say that absolutely has to stick around no matter what."

Kim giggled as she snuggled closer. "Good. No concussion."

"Concush…hey, not funny," he complained good-naturedly, a slight frown on his face.

"C'mon, Ronnie, smile," she pouted as she looked up at him. "I'm just trying to cheer you up."

Ron got a sly grin, and if she hadn't seen the laughing, smiling look in his eyes, she would have swore he was Zorpox again. "Oh, I know one thing that's guaranteed to make me smile."

"Ron, don't you dare!" she exclaimed with a laugh as she tried to spring up.

He was too quick however, and in a flash the ice pack was on the floor as his hands went for her sides and began tickling.

"Ron!" Kim squeaked, peals of laughter spilling out like a waterfall. "Come…HA HA HA!…come on, your fingers are cold…Hee Hee!"

Ron's grin only got wider. "Ah ha! Iceberg Tickles for KP giggles!"

"Ron…Ha ha!…seriously…Hee Hee!…I can't…breathe!"

"Do you yield?" he replied, a laughing smirk on his face as he refused to cease tickling.

"I yield! I yield!" she squealed between laughs.

He finally stopped his attack. "Good. Then I'm collecting," he replied seconds before he captured her lips with his own and caused her to experience a much more enjoyable type of breathlessness.

* * *

Dr. Director frowned as she glanced over the folder her guest had handed her. "And you're sure this is accurate?"

Joe nodded. "Affirmative, Lizzie. Agent Ryan states that other than herself there were a total of five of your brother's agents sent to infiltrate the campus of one Global Vanguard University. She can only confirm the identities of three, however, and one of those three is the agent we have in custody in our Northwest Territory holding facility. The other two she doesn't even know whether they are male or female at this point. She also claims she has turned one of the other two she does know into a double agent whose primary loyalties now lie with us." He pointed to a photo of one of the two blonde males. "This one I believe, Lizzie."

"It's 'Elizabeth' or 'Betty' now, Joe, or if you prefer 'Dr. Director'."

"Sorry about that," the Canadian secret agent replied with a wistful smile. "Old habits die hard, you know."

"I know," Dr. Director replied with a sad smile of her own, but then she straightened herself up. "But back to the issue. Can Agent Ryan confirm for certain that this turned agent has really crossed and is not playing her to gain information?"

Joe nodded. "She claims that he has fallen for a young woman with ties to Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable, and realizes now that he has been working for the wrong side. She also claims that he does not want any clemency for what he has already done, because he feels he must pay for what he had done up to the point that she managed to convince him to turn."

Betty shook her head slowly. "I don't know, Joe. It just doesn't sit right. How do we know we can really trust this young man? Or that Katie hasn't been the one turned?"

Joe frowned. "Betty, I may be accepting of people, but I'm not stupid. I'd know if she had been turned."

"Joe, you and I both know you can be blinded when it comes to apt female agents," she replied with a knowing glance.

A smile crossed that stubbly face. "I seem to recall a certain female agent with quite the talent who used to like that fact."

Betty frowned. "Joe, you and I both know why that day happened. Please, leave it there."

He nodded. "I will, but only if you answer me one thing: if it hadn't been for your eye, would you have looked at it differently?"

The Global Justice leader subconsciously reached up to touch her eye-patch, feeling the scar tissue beneath it. "Joe, it wasn't just the eye. There were other things at play in the situation…my career for example. And you're getting off the subject, as you told me you came here for another reason."

Joe sighed. "Look, I don't know how to say this, but I think there's a reason you have WEE agents at that school, and it's not because your brother wants you to call him 'older'. And you know what I'm getting at."

Betty frowned and shook her head. "Joe, I appreciate your concern, but I don't think Sheldon sent in spies just for revenge on Kim and Ron. He always has a hidden agenda to his plans."

Joe stared at her as if he were looking over the top of a pair of glasses. "Betty, you and I both know that Gemini hates those two just as much as we trust them. Plus, look at the fact that he specifically directed some of his agents to get close to them."

"What are you saying Joe? That I should ask for them to be expelled? That I should possibly ruin their futures on a hunch?"

"Far from it, Betty. But I do think you need to be honest with them about what we know about this situation. After all, you're the one who wanted Katie to keep her real agenda secret from them, regardless of what happens or what they learn. If it were up to me, I would have had her tell them the minute she met them."

Betty's eyebrow rose over her good eye. "Like you did when you posed as a janitor at their high school?"

"That particular order came directly from the mouths of my superiors, so I had no choice on the matter," he replied with a frown. "I would think someone in your position would understand that."

The Global Justice head squinted at him with her working eye. "Joe, you don't know a thing about how GJ works. According to our rulebook, if an order clearly goes against conscience, it can be overlooked or altered."

Joe grinned. "I'll bet that one came into effect after you took over."

Betty shook her head in disdain. "Should have been part of the regulations from the start."

The Canadian secret agent sighed. "So you're telling me I should give that recommendation to Agent Ryan then?"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose for a few seconds before replying. "No, Joe. There are other things at play here, some of which I haven't even informed you about. As much as I don't like keeping those two in the dark, the fact is that this operation, like the others that we've got going over there at the moment, must remain a secret from Kim and Ron until absolutely necessary."

* * *

The mood in the football team locker room the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 2, before the game with Penn State was very subdued. Everyone kept looking at the recently cleaned out locker for #22, some with confusion, some with disgust, but most with just simply disbelief. Of course it had been a foregone conclusion that Dack was off the team, but there was no denying that his absence was being felt. And regardless of whether it was the truth or not, Ron felt a lot of the players now looking to him to fill the arrested senior's shoes. And although his normal quick healing had his eye recovered up to the point of nothing more than a yellow mark just below the socket, he was still feeling extremely unprepared for the task. His locker neighbor, Jean-Luc, took notice of the young man's obvious stress.

"Ron, Dack made his choices, and nothing you could have done or said would have changed that," the linebacker remarked, his Parisian accent offering a soothing quality to the words he spoke.

"I know, man," Ron replied, sighing. "But with him gone, I can't help but feel like I'm expected to do something, you know, inspirational today. Like the rest of you are counting on me to fill his shoes."

The black-skinned senior smiled and good-naturedly knocked his fist on the top of Ron's shoulder pads. "Ron, you just have to go out there, play your game, and let the rest come as it will. One thing you've got to remember is that at any given moment there are eleven of us out there on that field. It takes all of us to make the play successful, or all of us to make it a disaster. Same thing with whether or not we win or lose. Contrary to popular opinion, one play doesn't win or lose a game, just like one player doesn't decide whether we triumph or fall."

Ron, however, couldn't seem to pull out of his funk. "But dude, everyone expected me to come in here and be the missing link to our winning a championship. But if we lose today, we don't even go to a bowl game."

Brissart laughed. "Then it means we don't freeze our tails off by playing somewhere where the temperatures are below freezing around New Year's Eve. Besides, losing to a team coached by the great Joe Paterno is nothing to be ashamed of. I know Devereaux would be thrilled if we pulled it off, but even he knows it's going to be a tough fight to walk away the victor from."

Ron frowned. "But what about you seniors? I mean, this could be your last game."

Another laugh. "Ron, it's a game. Would I like another play in this uniform, yes, but I do this for fun. I mean, yes, I'll probably enter the draft when I'm done here, but there's no guarantee any of the NFL teams are going to pick me up. So as long as I get to step onto that field, I'm going to enjoy it. And you should too; otherwise, it becomes something you dislike, and that's never the way to step on the field."

"Jean-Luc's right," added Coach Devereaux as he walked up. "Ron, no one expected you to come in here and single-handedly lead the team. Besides, even if we lose today, which I honestly don't think we will if we put our best against their best, that still leaves us with a 9 – 3 record. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Hell, it's our best record in eight years, and everyone knows you're a big part of that. If we played in another conference, there's no question we'd be going to a bowl, but the Independents have a tough time gaining respect around the NCAA bowl scene, especially with the way that BCS is set up. After all, we could be completely undefeated, and still not make it into one of the Big Four games. So don't worry about it."

"Thanks, Coach," Ron replied, feeling a little better but still not out of the noose. After all, one of those losses probably wouldn't have happened if he'd admitted to his arm injury when it happened—he was still convinced he could have run circles around the Temple defense.

"Oh, by the way, Stoppable," the coach said with a smile before he walked away. "Just wanted to let you know that I received notification earlier this week that you've been nominated for the NCAA's Freshman All-American Team. No confirmation yet, but thought you might like to know about it."

Jean-Luc clapped the freshman on the back. "See, Ron, you are doing something right."

Ron nodded, took a breath, and put on his helmet as Coach Devereaux called the team into the pre-game pep talk huddle.

**…**  
**…**

Over in the cheerleaders' locker room, Kim was feeling rather bugged by the attention the other members of the squad were still paying to her over Tuesday night's encounter.

"Guys, I'd really rather just move past it," she complained as she smiled while lacing up her shoes as she sat in the joint access area. "I know it may come as a surprise, but nearly getting shot by a guy completely fixated on dating me isn't something I like having to relive."

Emily Quartermaine smiled. "Kim, it's not that we don't respect that and your wanting to forget it, but something like this has never happened here before. It's really big news all over campus."

Bobby Norris smirked. "Personally, I'm surprised something like this didn't happen sooner."

"Why do you say that, Bobby?" Kim replied.

The male cheerleader smirked again and added a nonchalant shrug. "After the story of how Dack acted with that LéClaire girl during Spring Break last year, it just doesn't surprise me that he'd go this far. I mean, I'm surprised he used a gun this time, but at the same time the fact that he got that obsessive doesn't shock me in the least."

Kim sighed. "Well, if it's all the same to you guys, can we just not mention it anymore? Besides, we really need to focus on the game. I still don't know how I'm going to keep from freezing my butt off out there."

At that moment, Coach Williams emerged from her office. "Alright, people, let me have your attention. Today's uniform is the blue pants instead of the skirts. And the white long-sleeve shirts under your tops. Your blue gloves are optional, but I'd highly recommend them, especially since it started snowing about thirty minutes ago."

Nina smiled. "As Kim's fiancé is so fond of saying…'Uh, Boo Yeah!'"

Kim grinned. "To be honest, he'd probably go more with 'Badical' if he heard that."

**…**  
**…**

"It's the Shield and Spear Show, coming to you live from G.V.U. Stadium for the final game of the regular season and what could be a turning point for Guardian football. I'm Rick Shield, and with me as always is the incomparable Wally Spear."

"A pleasure as always, Rick. And what a game we have today."

"That's right, Wally. If the Guardians can manage to pull off a victory today against the Penn State Nittany Lions, they'll be going to their first bowl game in school history. No word on what bowl that will be yet, but first they've got to win here today."

"Agreed on that, Rick. But the big question on everyone's mind is whether or not they can do that without the presence of Dack Daniels."

"Well, Wally, prior to the game against Air Force, I would have been a doubter. But after seeing the way this team played without him that day, I think they've got what it takes. For those of you tuning in who have been under a rock this week, star Guardian slot-back and receiver Dack Daniels was taken into custody by Upperton Police after an incident that occurred late Tuesday evening here on the campus, and Wednesday Coach Devereaux announced in a press conference that the senior had been officially cut from the team. Due to the nature of that incident and the people involved, we aren't allowed to tell you what it was on the air here, but I'm sure you know someone who knows the story."

"I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't, Rick. But let's get back to the football."

"Right, Wally. G.V.U.'s current record sits at nine and two, which will still be the best we've seen in eight years even if they lose today against legendary coach Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions. But if they win, they'll secure a spot in one of the coveted post-season bowls. We don't know which one yet, but there are speculative reports that they could end up in one as prestigious as perhaps the Cotton Bowl or even the Capital One Bowl. But without a win here today, we'll be sitting at home watching someone else play."

"To tell the truth, Rick, I think some of these fans may be wishing they'd stayed home already with as cold as it is. I'm just glad we sit here inside the booth."

"He speaks the truth, folks, as the mercury outside is actually sitting just under the freezing mark. There's also a good snow blowing in from the west, and the warm drinks like the cocoa and coffee have never been a hotter commodity. I wouldn't be surprised if Devereaux relies heavily on the legs of Highland and Stoppable this afternoon, as I don't think James or his receivers are going to be able to feel their hands by the end of the first quarter. Honestly, we expect to see both teams pounding it out on the ground as they try to hold on to the football despite the wintry conditions on the field."

**…**  
**…**

Ron blew on his hands repeatedly, grateful for the moment to be sitting in the warmth of the locker room once more, even if only for a few minutes. True, he'd been in some of the coldest alpine regions in the world when he was with Kim on their missions (what was it with super-villains and mountain lairs, really?), but the use of the specially insulated gloves the two often used was prohibited by NCAA regulations due to the better than average grip they provided. He still wore running back gloves, but those were currently sitting on his locker next to him for a temporary drying out after being thrust into the snow on the field so many times. He sighed as he glanced out at where Coach Devereaux was emerging from his office.

"Gentlemen, I have to say I'm proud of the way you're playing out there. If you didn't notice, you're currently tied 14-14 with the highly ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, who are already guaranteed a bowl berth. Now I know you're fighting the weather, but up to this point I haven't heard a single complaint from you guys, which I have to say I admire. BUT…the game's not over yet. We still have two more quarters to go, and I can guarantee they want to win to improve the rank of the bowl they get. However, I still see plenty of fire left in the eyes and hearts before me, so I know we can spoil their fun. Now, Defense, I want you to get more pressure on that running game. I'm sure they're feeling the cold just like we are, but remember that when you're cold it hurts a lot more to take hits than give hits. So you be the ones to give hits. Offense, protect that football. Protect, protect, protect. I know for you backs and receivers it's hard to hold on to a frozen football when you can't feel your fingers, but the only way we're going to win this is if we keep moving the ball down the field and keep possession on our side. I don't care if you have to smother that ball, you do not let go of it."

Coach Huey, the running backs coach, stepped forward. "And remember, guys: if you can, make sure you get both arms around that ball _before_ the hit. Makes it a lot easier to hold on to."

Devereaux smiled. "Thank you, Coach Huey. Now, Gentlemen, we have approximately three minutes before we head back out, so start warming your selves back up again. Stretch out your legs, jump around, do whatever you need to in order to get your blood flowing again, because the worst thing you can do is go out in to temperatures like this and play stiff."

**…**  
**…**

"Well, Wally, I hate to say it, but it looks like the Guardians aren't going to be able to pull this one out. They've put up a good fight, but they're down by three with less than a minute left as they start from their own seventeen yard line."

"That Penn State kicker should get a medal for his efforts just now, Rick. A forty-seven yard field goal is amazing on the best of days, but to do it when you can't even feel your foot and the wind is blowing snow in your face—that's something truly heroic."

"That it is, Wally, and our hats are off to him. The Guardians have one timeout left, but I'm betting Devereaux's gonna try and save it until he gets into field goal range or better so the G.V.U. kicker, Gary Caldwell, doesn't have to rush. There's the snap, and Stoppable is immediately hit after only a few yards. Clock's still running, but James is calling for a 'no huddle' offense. This time it's a quick pass over to Travis, but the freshman tight end can't find a handle on it. And that'll stop the clock at 47.2 seconds. Third and six, ball on the twenty-one. There's the snap, and Stoppable's weaving in and out. He slips by one, breaks another, and inches under the arms of a third defenseman. He's racing up the sideline, but he'll be stopped just after crossing the fifty, although he did show awareness and made sure he was tackled into the out of bounds area, stopping the clock at 27.4 seconds. The wind is in the Guardian's favor, but their just barely past the fifty, and Caldwell's longest kick ever is still only a forty-three-yarder."

"And I'm sure Devereaux's also thinking about that one he missed from twenty-five early in the third quarter, Rick. The wind may be in their favor now, but you know it's got to be on the Guardian skipper's mind."

"I'm sure it is, Wally."

**…**  
**…**

Kim blew on her hands, wishing she could be wearing the special insulated gloves Wade had designed for their missions. Her cheerleader's gloves were sort of warm, but those hand-warmers the young man had created were like one's own little personal sauna for the hands. Of course, she had to admit, if her hands felt as cold as this, Ron's had to be blocks of ice by now. She had laughed every time she saw him removes his helmet after a series, as it caused a huge cloud of steam to start shooting up, as if he were releasing a new flame power. And now that the game was nearing its end, she knew he was pushing himself hard to help his team pull out the victory.

Unfortunately, she could also tell that if things didn't go the Guardians' way Ron was going to blame himself. She'd never really noticed it until the Bermuda Triangle Club mission, but he had the endearing yet annoying habit of accusing himself if he felt he could have done more when things went bad. Personally she thought it was sweet, as many times it could have just as easily been her fault as she tried to do too many things at once, but always he pointed the finger at himself. If she really thought about it, Kim knew she could place the bulk of the responsibility for that quirk squarely on her own shoulders. It wasn't that she meant to, but for so long now she had automatically assumed that if something went wrong on their missions, it was due to Ron's antics—that she was guiltless. If something went wrong, Ron was to blame, and that was how she'd always perceived the matter. In fact, if it hadn't been for their big interview back in May she might still have been doing it.

However, that batch of trouble caused by one unscrupulous Global Justice agent seeking fame had shown Kim just how much she took for granted what Ron contributed to the team. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it _was_ true that Ron had most often been the reason for the success they'd had in their encounters with Monkey Fist. Yet he had always stood back and let her have the spotlight just like any other successful mission. Just like he always stepped forward to accept the blame if something went wrong. That was who Ron was, and it was one of the reasons she loved him. But she also knew from the night of their big interview forward just how extremely lucky she was to have him.

Ever since then, Kim had been trying her hardest to fix the problem even as it tore at her heart when she looked at how wrong she'd always treated him. Part of that repair work included giving him the praise he'd always deserved when he did something right, which she was both pleased and surprised to learn was more often than she'd previously anticipated. That half of the job she found relatively easy, as Ron seemed to soak up her praise with an ever increasing grin. However, that also included convincing him that he'd done everything humanly possible when his absolute best still wasn't enough to pull a successful outcome out of a mess. This half of the job was proving difficult for the red-head, as Ron often "fought" to stay in funks when he thought he was at fault. More than once since she'd made her decision she'd had to resort to every trick a best friend/girlfriend/fiancée could know to get him to smile again, but every time she succeeded it warmed her heart and chipped away a little bit more of the doubt she carried that she wasn't worthy of someone as great as Ron Stoppable.

As she watched her love get buried under yet another angry pride of Nittany Lions, Kim had a feeling that tonight was going to be the second variety—especially when she noticed his shoulders get slightly more slumped as he got up each time.

_Yep, definitely going to need to give you some ferociously supportive girlfriend-love tonight, Ron._

**…**  
**…**

Coach Devereaux frowned as he watched while yet another play ate up too few yards in too much time. His team was fighting hard, but there just weren't enough ticks left in the game. When the clock reached the sixteen second mark he held up his hands in time-out, and the refs stopped the clock at fifteen seconds flat. As the old war dog watched his offense trudge over to him, he took special notice of the hanging of Ron's shoulders, and smiled sympathetically. He could tell the freshman wanted to lead the team to victory, but the young man's gas tank was already running on empty. He smiled as he looked at the blonde and the rest of the players gathered around him.

"Okay, guys, we've got fifteen seconds left, we're on the forty-six, and we're shooting for the twenty. That's just over twenty-five yards. From now on, we're running out of the 2-Back Shotgun formation, because all of our plays can be run from that. All of you: the minute that play stops, I want you back on the line ready to go. Vinnie, I'm giving you judgment from here on in—call the plays you think will work. Offensive line, give your blocks everything you've got left. Ron, Nate, I want you fighting for every yard you can get, but if it looks like they're trying to hold you up and run the clock, go down. Receivers, if Vinnie sends the ball your way, do everything you can to catch it and hold on for dear life." He held out his hand, signaling for a stack. "Remember, they're the ones that have to stop you. Now let's hear it."

"Guardians!" the players yelled.

**…**  
**…**

"Well, Rick, here we go. Fifteen seconds to decide the game and the fate of the season."

"You're absolutely right, Wally. The ball sits on the Nittany Lion forty-six, and the Guardians are out of timeouts. James in shotgun, and there's a quick pass over to Clay for a seven-yard gain before the receiver gets out of bounds to stop the clock at 12.4 seconds. Second and three, and the players are rushing to the line. From the shotgun again, quick handoff to Stoppable, and he'll head around the right side up the sideline. He'll be knocked out at the thirty-five, and that'll be good for a first down with the clock now showing 9.1 seconds left. Back on the line again just like that, looks like James is going to be in shotgun formation for the rest of the time we have left. This time it's a zip pass over to Mitchell Travis, but the freshman tight end can't find a handle on it. Clock down to just 5.9 seconds now. Second and ten, and James takes the snap. Looks like a repeat over to Travis, who catches it and immediately steps out. Ate just one and half seconds off the clock, and we're down to 4.2 seconds. James looks over at the sideline, and Devereaux is motioning to keep going. The snap is bobbled a bit in the cold air, but James retains control, and there's the handoff to Stoppable…

**…**  
**…**

The moment he got the ball Ron could tell the play was busted, and that there was no way he'd be able to gain positive yardage and make it to the sideline before time expired. So he placed his hand on Nate's back—an unspoken signal that they'd developed earlier in the year. Nate immediately started plowing forward, Ron hot on his heels and looking for the crack he could slip through. Through the corner of his eye, he watched the last second tick away…and then he saw it. He'd have to race the safety and the cornerback to get there, but at the moment he had a clear shot at the nearest corner of the endzone. Pouring every last bit he had into his legs, he turned on the jets, and made the mad dash. He made a desperate leap, and felt as first one defenseman and then another collided with him in mid-air before they came down hard and he was smothered in a sea of Penn State jerseys…

**…**  
**…**

"And Stoppable is hit hard at the goal line by Cartwright and Warner in the air, and several more Nittany Lions as they come down. There are some blue Guardian jerseys in there, but mostly it's a pile up of Penn State white with only the feet of Ron Stoppable poking out the bottom."

"Hard to tell if he got in from up here, Rick. But if he did then he's gonna be the hero of the game. He turned a potentially busted play into what may be the game winning score. Truly amazing the talent of this young man."

"That it is, Wally. The refs are making their way over, and are starting to pull players off the pile. Still can't see anything of Stoppable but the young man's feet."

**…**  
**…**

Kim had watched with bated, foggy breath as she saw Ron make the last desperate dive, holding her pom-poms under her chin in anticipation of the outcome. She had cringed as she saw his lithe frame twist as he was hit from opposite sides, and was sure that if her fiancé were thinner, the twin smashes would have snapped him in half. The G.V.U. cheerleaders were stationed on the sidelines right next to the goal line he'd been trying to cross, but it had all happened so fast that even Kim with her sharply acute eyesight couldn't tell whether or not Ron had scored. All he'd needed to do was just break the plane of the goal line with either the ball or his own body, and the score would count. Just a small portion of himself or the ball…

**…**  
**…**

Up in the stands, not even noticing the cold, seven pairs of eyes watched the impact with immense concern. The smallest set blinked a few times before their owner spoke up.

"Brother?" Hana said through her scarf with a worry and an understanding that should have been beyond her years.

"He's okay, Hana," Jean reassured her daughter. "Ronnie's fine. Right, Anne?"

"I'm sure your brother's fine, Hana," Anne replied with a smile and a nod. But on the inside, Dr. Anne Possible was looking at the scene from a surgeon's perspective. She may have dealt mostly with brain surgeries, but she knew potentially dangerous hits when she saw them, and the dual-strike Ron had just taken scared her more than a little bit. However, she focused on keeping that worry from showing on her face.

"Do you think he got in?" Gene said with a frown as he looked at the pile of players his son was buried under.

"Hard to say, Gene," James answered. "Hard to say."

Jim and Tim said nothing, only looked at their father and then back out on the field at the mass of bodies covering their sister's boyfriend.

**…**  
**…**

Ron couldn't see a thing but the white jersey mashed up against his facemask, and so had no idea himself about whether or not he'd succeeded. Someone in the pile kept trying to take the ball out of his outstretched hands, but he was holding on to that thing like he was trying to keep Kim from falling over the edge of a cliff and wasn't about to let anyone steal it from him. Slowly, he could feel the pile squashing him getting lighter, and was beginning to see small rays of light out the sides of his helmet. The snow on the grass underneath him was chilling him to the bone, but all he was worried about was whether or not he'd been able to lay out enough to get the nose of the ball to cross the goal line.

He felt the Penn State player who had been lying across his back be removed, and then the one across his legs. He saw the blue jerseys of the teammates who had managed to join him in the pile be removed from his left and right. And then he saw the white jersey across his arms being lifted, and saw for the first time just where he'd gotten to. In disbelief, he buried his facemask in the snow, even as the cheers began to rock the stadium…

**…**  
**…**

"And there's the last player pulled…and it is no good! Aww, rats!"

"Well shucks, Rick. I thought for sure he had it."

"I did too, Wally. I did too. Well, football fans, unless magic happens, it looks like this will be the final game of the season for our boys. Devereaux and the Guardians put up a good fight, but Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions are going to squeak out of here by literally less than a foot."

"You certainly can't blame Stoppable for this loss, Rick. That young man did everything he could to give his team another game. As a matter of fact, I'm going to make him my first ever freshman recipient of my Offensive Spear of the Game for his efforts this evening."

"He truly deserves it, Wally. Final score tonight: G.V.U. 21, Penn State 24. And unless the polls are nice to us, this heartbreaker of a loss will leave the final record for the 2006 Guardians at nine and three. We'll be back after the break with the 'Shield & Spear Post Game Show'. You've been listening to GSN, Guardian Sports Network."

**…**  
**…**

As Penn State fans rushed the field to celebrate their victory, Kim walked slowly over to where Ron was still lying face down in the snowy grass, the continuously falling flakes slowly turning his blue jersey white.

"Ron?" she said as she knelt down next to him and softly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Honey, are you okay?"

There was a reply, thankfully, but it was muffled by the snow that surrounded the young man's facemask. She gently rolled him over on to his back.

"Ron, I'm so proud of you," Kim said as she produced a dazzling smile.

Ron frowned. "For what? I totally blew it." He didn't even seem to care about the snow chunks falling through the bars of his facemask to land on his face.

"Ron, no one out here thinks that. And anyone who does doesn't know what they're talking about."

The blonde frowned again, still not moving from his prone and laid out position. "But I know I could have done more, KP."

Kim smiled and slowly removed his helmet before placing a warm kiss on his lips. "Ron, you never gave up… and gave this more than even you realize right now, I'll wager. And I and everyone else can easily see that. Even those Nittany Lions know they came awfully close to you making them pay for it."

Ron's only response was to slowly close his eyes once more and deepen his frown. "Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atomic bombs."

Kim smiled warmly. "C'mon, Ron, get up. Please? I will pull out the face _and_ the voice if I have to."

His half-smile was the first positive sign she'd seen from him since the final call was made. "No, that's okay, I'm getting up. This snow is actually freezing my pants to my legs. I feel like I just went through Pop Pop Porter's Cryovator."

The red-head smiled slyly. "I have ways of warming you up, Bad Boy," she whispered seductively.

Then she laughed as a fresh wave of steam shot up from Ron's face accompanied by a trademark goofy grin.

**…**  
**…**

Unfortunately, their plans had to be put on hold when they got a mission call a few minutes after arriving back at the dorm after having an after-game meal with their families. The whole ride out, Ron sat in numb silence. The ride happened to be their long-time friend Bernice, and both she and Joss almost commented until they saw Kim shake her head. The red-head would have been worried herself, but she'd seen this before, and knew it was probably best to just let Ron work through it. Her beliefs were rewarded when he perked up moments before Team Possible's parachute drop, and Kim smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek just before the three made the jump. And for one of the few times on mission she felt sorry for the thugs they faced, as Ron was a one-man wrecking crew and seemed to be taking out his frustrations on them. But, given what Kim figured he was thinking, she let him go at it—although she did keep glancing over to make sure his eyes remained their normal brown.

"But shouldn't yeh say something, Kim?" Joss countered as another henchman sailed over the girls' heads while they stood back to back and took on villainous lackeys of their own. "Ron's kinda gettin' caught up in hurtin' these guys."

"I would," Kim replied as she blocked and countered her opponent's moves, "but it seems to me like he's still in control. Besides, I'd rather him work it out against these guys who might deserve it than against someone who catches him at the wrong time."

"Makes sense, Ah guess," her cousin replied as she belted the thug she was facing across the jaw, sending him sprawling. "Jest remind me to never get him angry at _me_."

By the time the mission was wrapped and the bad guys all tied up, Ron had calmed down significantly. On the flight back, which they managed to catch with Bernice as well, the young man was back to his usual, laid-back and chipper self. Bernice merely joined Kim in smiling while Joss scratched her head in bewilderment.

"Your cousin knows that young man better than anybody ever will," the female pilot said in response to the girl's obvious confusion.

Kim merely smiled at the compliment.

* * *

Gemini frowned. "Agent Alpha, did you not realize that they would not be at the school when you planned this operation?"

Ivan Gerhardt shook his head, his mustache twitching nervously. "According to the schedules I had at hand, they would be in the Upperton area for their New Year's celebration, Sir. Information that was given to me by Agent Beta, I might add."

Gemini turned towards his third-in-command. "Is this true, Agent Beta?"

The skinny man looked rather nervous. "Y-y-yes, S-s-sir, Gemini. I-I-I was informed that-that-that the classes at Global Vanguard U. resumed operation before January 1st. My-my-my schedule was unfortunately…umm…off by a week."

Gemini smiled. "Ahh, then you were not the one to retrieve the information. Correct?"

"N-n-no, Sir, Great Gemini," Beta replied.

"Very well, Agent Beta. You may relax. Here, sit and calm yourself while I get to the bottom of this."

Agent Beta did, not even realizing that the seat he'd just taken had appeared out of nowhere. He certainly noticed, however, when it began rocketing him upwards and through a hold that had appeared in the ceiling! As they watched him go, Gemini turned and pointed the index finger of his bionic hand directly under the Gerhardt's chin, the missile hidden there extending its fins with an audible click.

"Listen to me carefully, Agent Alpha. It is only by sheer luck that it was not you in that seat. Now tell me—are we ready to proceed now, or must we wait until after the New Year approaches?"

Gerhardt swallowed hard, knowing that how he phrased his answer would probably determine his future.

"We could proceed now, Illustrious Gemini, if you so wish it. However, if you wish this operation to have its desired effect, I would recommend postponing it for one week or more from its original date until we are sure that Possible and Stoppable, have settled back into normal routines. Plus, it would have the added effect of nullifying any intelligence your younger sister may have acquired about our plans."

Gemini's smile was icy, and his eye blazed with intense delight. "You are a wise manipulator, Agent Alpha. Perhaps your worth to my organization has not yet reached its end."

* * *

a/n

Thanks to everyone who has kept up with me so far. I know this story is getting long, but I promise that a couple of big things are about to happen, so please bear with me on this.

And as always, comments and reviews are always welcome. :)


	25. Chapter 25

A/N

Chapter 25 is up and running!

Kim and Ron prep for their finals, and an old thorn makes itself known once again.

Wade gets some help from a mysterious source.

Someone has some views on the Dack incident, and he's got a few things to say to Kim and Ron.

Sheila deals with problems at home before being forced to face a shadow from her family's past.

Finals begin, but amidst all the stress Kim and Ron find some quality time.

Something sinister is lurking around, and certain people aren't yet aware.

Kim puts her plan into action, with some surprising results.

And then a pair of villains reveal a few surprises they're cooking up.

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Gerhardt swallowed hard, knowing that how he phrased his answer would probably determine his future.

"We could proceed now, Illustrious Gemini, if you so wish it. However, if you wish this operation to have its desired effect, I would recommend postponing it for one week or more from its original date until we are sure that Possible and Stoppable have settled back into normal routines. Plus, it would have the added effect of nullifying any intelligence your younger sister may have acquired about our plans."

Gemini's smile was icy, and his eye blazed with intense delight. "You are a wise manipulator, Agent Alpha. Perhaps your worth to my organization has not yet reached its end."

* * *

By Monday, it seemed Kim's post-game prediction had come true. As far as the couple could tell, no one blamed Ron for the loss even for a second. As a matter of fact, everyone seemed to be trying for a chance to congratulate Ron on his valiant final effort. Even a few of the teachers were getting in on the action.

"That was an effort worthy of a true genius, Mr. Stoppable," Dr. Maria Ryder commented in their Honors Biology 101 class. "One of the few times I've enjoyed a full game. Now, everyone please look at the index of your textbook. As you know, this is the final day of this class, as Wednesday is the scheduled Study Day."

Most of the class, Ron especially, let out whoops of excitement.

The professor merely smiled and straightened her glasses. "I know most of you call it 'Dead Day', and look at it as a day off from classes. However, I will warn you now that your final exam in this class, and I suspect the same applies to finals in your other classes as well, isn't something to take lightly. For every hour you normally study for one of my tests, I would suggest you devote two to the final, as it will be a complete comprehensive of everything we've covered in here so far."

"Aww, man," Ron complained. "If that's the case in every class, I'm gonna need to be studying all day."

Kim merely smiled. "But Ron, if you do well I might be persuaded to join you in some _personal_ fun. _If_ you do well."

Ron's grin went goofy, and he was the most focused she'd ever seen for Dr. Ryder's review lecture. The same thing happened in their Honors College Algebra course, although after he congratulated Ron on the final play Professor Akeem Khuluhuboni pretty much just pointed out what to review and dismissed them. For that class especially, Kim knew they were going to have to work hard for Ron to pull out a decent grade—math had never been his strong suite, and he was barely pulling a B as it was. Although, as Professor Khuluhuboni pointed out right before they left, it was theoretically possible for Ron to scrape out a borderline A if he managed at least a 99% on the final.

Their Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. class continued the presentations on their papers, an essay which Ron surprisingly did better on than Kim had—even though both pulled solid A's out of it. It was only a one point difference between them, but the revelation of that little surprise had caught them both off guard. And even though he probably jokingly pushed it a little farther than he should have, Kim couldn't begrudge her love for being proud of the fact that he'd outclassed her on something, merely smiling and shaking her head.

The next day was more of the same pretty much, with their professors simply going through reviews and warning them to study and not take the final exams lightly. The only difference was the fact that Dr. Hyde asked Kim to stay after Civilizations for a few minutes so that he could speak to her in private.

"Miss Possible," the professor stated with a frown as he wiped his glasses with his cleaning cloth, "I feel I should warn you now that the final for this class will be probably the toughest test you face this semester. I mention this just in case you feel it necessary to bring in Dr. Neissera on this matter if you fail to get a grade _you_ are under the impression you deserve. I will be grading _everyone_ hard on this last test, and I don't want _you_ thinking that I'm being unfair towards you."

Kim knew she was being baited, but she merely smiled. "I would be offended if you graded any of us lightly, Sir. If I understand correctly, the Final Exam is supposed to be a test of everything we've managed to learn in this class."

Dr. Hyde's frown deepened, and the red-head could tell the ill-tempered codger had been hoping she would backtalk or at the very least cop an attitude with her response. "Very well, Miss Possible, I think that will be all. And remember that I require _all electronic devices_ to be left out of class for the final exam. That particularly includes your watch as well, as I am well aware that that device has internet capabilities. I warn you now, if it comes in the classroom, you will fail immediately. Are we clear?"

Kim nodded. "Yes Sir."

* * *

Wade frowned as he pulled up the information on Sheila's parents once more. He'd hoped to have the specifics ready for Kim, Ron, and Joss by the time Joss finished her high school finals and soon after Kim and Ron finished theirs so they could be ready to go. But as it was, he didn't have anything beyond what he'd had a few weeks earlier. Kim had stated earlier that she felt that if they were going to go to Italy for an extended period in their search for the Godfrey's the week following their finals would be the best time to do it, but the tech genius also knew how his friends felt about going with little to no intelligence ready and waiting for them. They'd done that once before, and even though it had been Drakken impersonating Wade, it had left enough of a mark on Kim and Ron that they now insisted on having a good deal of information before they took missions on.

Right now, however, all Wade could offer them was a location and a general description of Heathcliff and Sheridan. That was normally enough, but he felt wrong about sending them in without knowing who Baldy and Scarface (the two thugs who had been following the Godfrey parents when he found them) were working for. Not to mention that Wade knew there had been a few sightings of Gerhardt around Rome. And since the former GJ agent was currently Gemini's new Agent Alpha that led to the conclusion that the city might be where the WEE's present headquarters was located. That meant that if Team Possible entered the area, they'd not only be contending with the unknown threat pursuing Sheila's parents, but also possibly the WEE as well.

At that moment, a message appeared uncalled for on Wade's main screen:

_Wade,  
__If you want to find Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey, you're going to have to find out why they went into hiding. Betty knows, so why don't you ask her? Or are you so loco that you're worried about breaching the trust you guys have built up with her? Cause if you are, you'll never get what you're really after.  
__C.A.M._

Wade spit out a little of his drink at the message. He immediately pressed the escape key, but the message remained. He got the same reaction when he tried to hit Control-Alt-Delete. Wade narrowed his eyes, flexed his fingers, and was about to go full out when the message disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as it had come.

_Weird_, he thought.

What was even weirder, however, was that the information he'd been searching for now sat on his screen ready and waiting to be perused. Wade didn't really know whether to trust his mysterious helper, but by the best he could figure the hacker meant him no harm. That was partially confirmed by the note that sat at the bottom of the page:

_Only time I'm helping you, amigo. XP  
__C.A.M._

Just to be safe, once he double-checked the information he'd been sent, Wade put his whole system on complete lockdown and put it through every virus scan and defrag application he had. Nothing came up—not even a tracking cookie—but the whole thing unnerved the young man a bit. After all, to hack his system took someone of remarkable skill, and this person had evidently done it inside of a minute. And for some reason that name "C.A.M." rang a bell. But for the life of him, Wade couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Wednesday passed by pretty normally, and for the most part the campus of G.V.U. was relatively subdued. Most of that had to do with the fact that the students, Kim and Ron included, were stressed by the impending finals that would begin the next day.

Ron in particular was a little bit tenser than he probably should have been, but it had the side effect of keeping him focused. As a result, he did his best to convince Kim to let him be stressed. And rather than stress him out more by fighting about it, she decided to let him…but only on the condition that he would consent to not pushing it too far and would take breaks when he needed them. He sighed and agreed to that stipulation, although more than once she had to get him to settle down and breathe as they pored over all the notes they'd taken that semester.

For her part, Kim thrived on the added stress. The notion of some of her exams determining half her grade in those classes was like a heady adrenaline rush that she couldn't get enough of. She knew she was probably going to suffer one major adrenaline crash in a week after her last final, but a simple warning to Ron was all the preparation she made for it, intending to just let it happen. It wasn't like the second Bebe mission or the first weeks of college, where she'd attempted to take on too much, but was instead a much more controlled throwing of herself into her work and her studying—almost like the whole concept of Finals Week was one big mission for her to take on. If Ron hadn't seen her do this very thing for their finals in high school, the focus she attacked her notes with might have scared him more than a little.

However, they were both unexpectedly thrown off their games a bit when Wednesday night brought a surprise visitor with something serious on his mind. In fact, Kim in particular couldn't have been more shocked to see her father's Jaguar sitting in the Patriot Towers parking lot when she and Ron arrived back at the dorm after grabbing a bite to eat in Sentinel Station that evening.

"Kimberly Anne Possible, we need to talk," he said with a very serious tone.

Kim gulped. In all her years of growing up around her father, he'd only ever used her full name when she was either in trouble or about to be. She quickly began wracking her brain to try and figure out what could have him tweaked, but no matter how hard she tried nothing was coming to mind.

"Hi, Daddy," she said with a smile as she hugged him.

"Don't you 'Hi' me, young lady," James replied with a frown, though he did return the hug warmly. "I need to talk to both of you…Now."

Kim gulped again, but when she looked at Ron she was surprised to see him looking completely calm. He grasped her hand comfortingly, and she began to wonder just why he wasn't freaking out like she was. However, that required a bit of focus she didn't have to spare at the moment, as she trained her energy on staying strong before her father's apparently tweaked expression. Still, she accepted when Ron opened the passenger's side door for her. Ron slid into the back seat, and her father climbed in the driver's seat. As he started the car, she could tell her dad was trying his best to not start chewing her right away over whatever it was he'd come to talk to them about, and it caused her mind to start going over everything that could possibly have her father in this state. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing stepped forward to accept the blame.

After a few minutes, James pulled the car into the nearby Upperton Park, which seemed deserted for the most part. He got out, motioning for them to follow, and headed for the picnic benches. Kim wrapped her coat more tightly around herself, a little worried that he'd chosen such a private spot to talk to them, and once more grasped Ron's hand before joining him in following her father. By the time they'd arrived, James had already brushed the snow off a pair of facing benches.

"Both of you—sit," he said with just a hint of edge.

They did, Kim a little bit more nervously than Ron, but still faced him bravely.

James took a seat on the bench of the next picnic table, and fixed his daughter with a concerned eye. "Alright Kimberly Anne, I'm giving you one more chance to tell me the whole story of what happened last Tuesday."

Now Kim knew why he was tweaked. The night it had happened, she'd of course told her parents about Dack coming after them, but had purposefully left out the part of the senior using a gun so they wouldn't freak out. Of course, she figured they'd probably have taken the news like they did all her missions where there was a close call, but after facing the ordeal she really hadn't felt like getting buzzed down to the front desk so she could let in parents who were freaking out about her and Ron nearly getting shot. Kim had actually intended to tell them within the next few days what had really happened, but that had somehow gotten away from her and she had forgotten about her intent. And from the look on James Possible's face, he wasn't happy about that fact.

"Daddy, it's really no big. I admit I should have told you about the gun, but I didn't want you to worry."

Her father frowned. "Kimberly Anne, that's not the point, and not what I'm talking about. Your mother and I aren't happy you didn't tell us about the gun, nor are Ron's parents I might add, but what has the four of us more confused is why you treated the situation the way you did."

"What do you mean, Sir?" Ron replied with a scratch of his chin.

James sighed, and Kim realized it wasn't so much tweak on his face as it was a parent's worried confusion. "Ronald, Kimberly—that young man tried to seriously injure you. By _shooting_ you, I might add. And his main intent appears to have been to kill Ronald. Yet from what Jamal Robinson told me and Kim's mother, you didn't fight back, or let Ronald go after him when Dack resorted to physically attacking him once the gun was out of play. Now I don't know where Jamal got that particular bit of information, and frankly I don't care. My question is why didn't you defend yourselves?"

Kim sighed. "Daddy, he wasn't a threat that warranted a physical retaliation…"

"Bull," her father replied in a tone that stated he was not to be argued with. "Kimmie-cub, he tried to _shoot_ you. With a _gun_. And from what Jamal says, and from what I learned when I called the campus police this afternoon, he missed both of you by inches. According to what Captain Raymond told me when I talked to him on the phone, if your chin had been an inch or two lower or Ronald's shoulder an inch or two higher, that young man would have seriously injured you. So tell me, why didn't you fight back?"

Kim held out her hands. "Daddy, Ron and I are trained for fighting, and Dack isn't."

James shook his head. "Kimmie-cub, you know I don't approve of violence, and that part of me applauds you for taking the path you did. But the concerned father part of me, and I can't believe I'm saying this, feels that shouldn't have mattered. It seems to me that the instant he pulled a gun on you, all bets should have been off. What if it had been some low-level crook pulling a gun on you two? Would you have given him the same hesitation?"

Kim closed her eyes. "No, but this is different, Daddy. Right, Ron?"

Now Ron gained the uncomfortable expression she'd been surprised not to see when her father arrived. "Actually, KP, I kind of agree with your dad. Even if it was for only a moment, Dack threat on our lives was a real one. Personally, I think we should have treated the sitch with the same mentality we do our missions. If he'd stopped after I disarmed him I would side with you, but he didn't. He kept coming after us, and talking wasn't working from the start."

Kim frowned. "And what, we should treat every low-life like they're about to kill us? No—I won't do that."

"KP, what's wrong with you?" Ron asked with a great deal of worry to his voice. "Ever since this summer you've been acting like you're afraid of something when it comes to missions. I mean, I know we asked Joss to join us, but it seems like with her there you're afraid to go all out like you used to."

"Ron's right, Kimmie-cub," her father agreed. "Your mother and I have noticed it too when we've been watching the two of you sparring while you're home on the weekends, and when we've seen you leaving on missions. Neither of us can pin down what it is, but it's like you're not yourself lately."

Kim looked away and at the ground, mumbling something neither man could hear.

"What?" Ron said soothingly as he placed a comforting arm around her. But she stood up abruptly and took a few steps before turning and facing them, and both were somewhat surprised to see the sheen of frustration beginning to form in her eyes.

"Because I'm not the same anymore, alright?" she said at a volume that wasn't quite a shout but was still fairly loud.

"KP, what are you talking about?" Ron replied after a double-take. "Far as I can tell it's still you."

"Kimmie-cub," her father said with a concerned edge to his voice. "Does this have something to do with that mess that happened this summer?"

"Yes," she replied as she wrapped her arms around herself, and both Ron and James could tell it wasn't because she was cold. "If I just let myself go on missions or when we face a sitch, Kigo could get out. And I can't let that happen. I have a responsibility to keep her contained."

Ron grinned, knowing this was something he could help her with. After all, he'd gone through this very same thing shortly after Zorpox first appeared in their lives. "KP, that's not how it works. You may be more aware of your dark side, but that doesn't mean she can come out whenever she wants."

Kim frowned. "But Kigo told me that the only reason she's never appeared before this summer was because I kept myself in check. And that she's the reason I kicked Shego into the Bueno Nacho tower. And she's what drove me to really want to hurt Adrena Lynn when she took you this past May."

Again the blonde young man smiled. "KP, if Kigo's anything like Zorpox, and having met her myself I think it's a safe bet to say the two of them are similar, then she's going to be a master at head games. And she's even better at them than he is simply because you're better at them than I am. But I also know that she's not as good as you are for that same reason. Zorpox is a good cook, I'd bet on it, but I'm positive that if I went up against him I'd win, simply because he's not all of who I am. And she's not all of who you are, which means you are stronger than her."

James also grinned, and he walked over and hugged his daughter supportively. "Ronald's right, Kimmie-cub. All of us know you're stronger than something that's only a part of you. Not to mention we're all here for you, and we all want to help you face this if you'll let us. You don't have to go solo against this Kigo, okay honey?"

Kim sniffed and smiled, relishing the hug. "Thanks, Daddy."

James leaned down and whispered, "And don't forget that you've got someone with you who, if I'm correct, knows exactly what you're going through in more ways than one."

Kim grinned. "I won't," she whispered back.

And when James released her, she walked right into the warm, comforting embrace and supporting arms of that person.

* * *

Sheila groaned as she sat up from the couch in the main common room of Go Tower where she'd been taking a nap. Her back pains were getting worse, and the doctors had already warned her that if things didn't improve soon they were going to confine her to permanent bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Considering her due date wasn't until the second week of February, that wasn't a prospect she wanted to even consider at this point. Not to mention that the wedding was scheduled to take place in a little over a month, shortly after New Years, and she definitely needed to be able to be on her feet for that.

However, the back pains weren't nearly as annoying as the now raging mood swings. Add in her need to stay calm so her still developing twins didn't blast a gaping hole right through her stomach, and Sheila was one unhappy camper by this point. She couldn't even release tension by using small bursts of her powers anymore, as when she'd done that to release a little stress a few days ago the twins had decided to "copy Mommy" and light up their own powers. And Mego certainly hadn't helped matters when he'd made a joke about it…

**…**  
**…**

"C'mon, sis, I was just trying to help," her purple-skinned brother had complained as he held his nose tenderly where she'd bopped him none too gently. "You should be thanking me for trying to cheer you up. After all, I didn't have to."

"You called me A.T.! How does that help?" she growled. "I swear, M-E-L-V-I-N, you can sometimes be the most self-centered, insensitive prick of a brother!"

Hego laughed, and if Sheila hadn't known he was laughing at her punching their younger brother in the nose he would have gotten the same treatment. "Do have to say I wonder whether or not you'll bruise up, Mel. Or if we'll be able to tell if you do."

"I think she broke it, Hector," Mego griped. "How am I gonna explain this to Sandra?"

"You got exactly what you deserved, Mel," Sheila replied bitterly. "A.T., indeed! I'm not some short, brown alien who eats M&Ms and has a fifty-foot neck!"

"Now, Sheila," Andy cut in with a nervous smile, trying to break the tension that was developing between her and her siblings. "Nnnngg…umm…You need to keep your temper down. You know what the…nnnngg…doctors have said."

"Yeah, I know what the doctors said," she snapped, her snarkiness in full-swing. "And have you noticed that we keep getting _male_ doctors who don't have a clue what it's like to be carrying around the weight of two extra people? The last one wasn't even married, and doesn't even know what it's like to deal with a woman in my condition!"

**…**  
**…**

Ever since that night, all her brothers, even Wesley and Werner, had given her a fairly wide berth. Even Andy seemed a little wary of setting her off. What she wouldn't give at that moment to be able to go back to May and erase that night. Of course, if she did that, she'd also have to give up the prospect of being a mother, an idea she was finding she had been unexpectedly warming up to more and more. Although, she had to admit, she was wishing more and more that it was going to be two girls instead of two boys. But maybe they could try for a daughter after these two arrived…

Her thoughts were brought back to the current moment as she realized just what had woken her up. The phone was ringing with a tone that signaled someone was calling on the main view screen in the ops center but didn't need urgent help. Rolling her eyes, she made a grab at it, missing and jamming her finger on the end table instead. Cursing under her breath, she readjusted her swipe, this time getting a handle on the receiver and bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?" she replied grumpily.

"Sorry Sheila. Is this a bad time?"

She frowned. "No, Nerdlinger, it's not a bad time. Just dealing with the side effects of being a duplex for two." No matter how much she had tried, Sheila still couldn't make herself call Kim Possible's techno boy by his name. Thankfully, he didn't really seem to mind.

"Just have an update for you and Andy. We've found your parents' location, and Team Possible will be heading in as soon as their finals are completed."

Sheila smiled the largest she had in a while. "That's good news. Where'd you find them?"

"Venice, Italy. But Sheila, before we go in, I have a few things I need to ask you."

"Shoot."

She heard him shifting uncomfortably. "Sheila, who are the Risattis?"

The name sent a chill down Sheila's spine. "It's…it's an Italian crime family…a la Mickey Carleoni from those gangster movies. All I can tell you is that they wanted some things from my parents when I was younger, but I haven't seen or heard from any of their organization since before Wesley and Werner were born. And before you ask, no, I don't know what they wanted. Mom and Dad never told us what they were after—actually told us to never mention them when we asked. But I do know Mom was scared of them a bit."

She could tell Wade was frowning. "Do you think it had anything to do with your parents' disappearing act?"

Sheila shrugged. "I couldn't really say for sure. But tell the Princess and Ronster to be careful. The members of the Risatti Organization aren't the type of people you mess with lightly or on a whim, and if they're involved in this it's got to be something serious."

"Thanks for the heads up. We'll call you if something comes up."

Sheila hung up the phone, but then picked up the receiver and dialed quickly. Then she tapped her fingers nervously while it rang. When Hego picked up, she let out a small sigh of relief, although she still felt very tense and worried.

"Hector? It's Sheila. Sorry to call you at work, but I have a serous question for you: are you sure the Risattis are out of Go City?"

* * *

The finals were nothing short of brutal from the get-go. Even Kim found herself struggling with the unexpected difficulty of them. True, she'd taken some college-level courses in high school, and knew partially what to expect, but the tests were still taking their toll. As she sat in her Unit Saturday afternoon waiting for Ron to finish up the application part of his Intro to Cooking final, she found herself glad she wasn't in his shoes, as she sorely needed this day off to refocus her brain. She was actually halfway tempted to ask him to reschedule their date that evening, but she knew they both needed the chance to unwind and relax a bit. Although she had to admit that she wasn't going to complain if he happened to bring up changing it to a stay-at-home affair.

As she reclined there on the couch contemplating what to do to kill time until her love's arrival, her thoughts kept drifting to her conversation with her father and Ron Wednesday evening. When she and Ron had returned to the dorms, she'd discovered to her surprise that her dad wasn't the only one wondering why she hadn't let Ron let go and really give Dack a good thrashing. Even Monique and Felix had been wondering about it, and according to those two most of the campus wondered the same thing. Practically everyone thought the jerk had deserved a good beating in the first place, and the fact that he had tried to shoot Kim and Ron seemed to all like the perfect excuse for Dack to get a serious pounding. After that revelation, Kim had begun wondering just how much she was letting her worry about letting Kigo loose affect her.

It had started with the Dementor fight, and that she could understand: after all, it was the first real fight she'd been in since the appearance of her sinister alter ego, and she'd been unsure just what kind of foothold her darker side had. But the more she looked at it, the more Kim had begun to worry that maybe she was letting the issue affect her more than it should have been. Not to say that Ron's fighting skills weren't improving, but he had been winning their sparring matches a lot more recently (not that she minded getting more kisses while pinned, of course), and had been taking out more henchmen on missions than she had. Even Joss, who was still relatively new to the game and to fighting off multiple opponents at once, had been able to keep pace with her cousin on the past few missions. Was the Kigo sitch really bothering her that much?

And then there was the problem she didn't want to face when it came to Kigo—the fact that she hadn't been able to ask Ron, her own fiancé, for help. If anyone knew what she was going through and would understand it, it would be him…and not just because of how long they'd known each other. Ron had been dealing with Zorpox for going on two years now, and he knew better than anybody how difficult it was to have to deal with the darker side of your personality as if it was another person. And yet her own pride and hard-headedness kept her from asking for his help. To Kim, the idea that she couldn't even bring herself to ask the love of her life for advice and support on the matter was even more of a bug than the Kigo problem itself.

She became so lost in her thoughts she didn't even hear the knock on the door of the Unit when it came…though she certainly got a whiff of the amazing smells coming underneath the door. She opened the door with a smile on her face, because as expected there stood Ron, holding what looked to be the remaining half of a golden rotisserie chicken, as well as good-sized portions of a few sides.

"Hope you don't mind, KP, but since they sent us home with the leftovers of our final exam, I thought we could just eat in tonight and maybe either watch one of the movies we own or catch one on the TV."

Kim's grin grew about three times its normal size, and she wrapped her arms around him and planted a smoldering kiss on his lips. "Sounds like a perfect night to me, Ronnie," she replied with an appreciative nuzzle.

As they ate, Kim decided to finally broach the subject she'd been thinking about. "Ron, what's it like for you dealing with Zorpox?"

Ron forked a bite of his sliced herb red potatoes and put it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Well, I guess the best way to explain it is that I actually have a voice that's different from my own encouraging me whenever I contemplate doing something I think might be a morally bad idea. And sometimes I can hear his cackling when I realize I've gone too far on something. But I also know that he's not coming out unless I choose to let him out."

"Unless you choose to," she echoed softly. "So then, unless I forcibly decided to let her out, Kigo couldn't get out either, right?"

"I don't think so," Ron replied with a grin. "And if it's anything like me and Zorpox, it'd have to be one heck of a trigger for her to get free."

Kim did a double-take. "Wait…Ron, are you saying that you've _tried_ to let him out before?"

Ron swallowed another bite. "No, but I imagine it's the same for them when we're in control as it is for us when they're in control. I can't count the number of attempts I made to regain myself when Zorpox was trying to hurt you, KP, and I think the only reason I was somewhat successful is because he wants you like I do. Well, maybe not exactly the same way, but he's attracted to you like I am—that much I do know for sure."

Kim couldn't stop the retching she felt at the thought. "Well…umm…I'd have to say he doesn't have much of a chance. As much as girls may go for the 'misunderstood bad boy', I don't think he qualifies."

Ron smiled, and she could tell he'd been hoping she'd go that route. "Good. Although I do still have the outfit if you ever want to role play a bit."

Kim grinned and winked. "I'll think about it. But right now I'm happy with my daily dose of good-side Ronshine."

"Boo Yeah," he replied in a voice that sent warm shivers up and down her spine.

"Hey, Ron…let's skip the movie. I think I could use a nice long backrub instead."

* * *

Jean Stoppable frowned as she cleared the now dead plants out of her garden. This year hadn't been the greatest for growing things, and her fall plants had been hit hard by the early frost. Plus, the unexpected snowfall Middleton had received a week ago had killed a few of the bulbs she'd planted before they could settle in for their winter sleep. She sighed as she dug up the dead ones and checked on the ones that had managed to still survive.

It had been over two weeks now since they'd returned from the visit with her family, and still she couldn't believe just how rude her sisters and brother had been to Kim. But as much as that bothered her, what had her scowling even more was the way Alma, Shannon, and Jacob, as well as Jacob's wife Margot, had reacted to and treated Hana. As far as Jean was concerned, Hana was as much of a blessing in her and her husband's lives as Ronald was, and she wouldn't trade either of her children for anything.

As she worked, Jean kept hearing the sound of irregularly crunching snow, but she passed that off as her own movements on the ground. It wasn't until she realized that the sounds were continuing even though she wasn't moving that she became curious. She glanced worriedly back into the forest behind their house for a few minutes, but she saw nothing eye-catching and so continued her work. It had probably been some fox or raccoon after all, she reasoned, so there was no reason to be frantic about it.

* * *

When Kim awoke early Monday morning, she found herself with an annoying little slot of free time. For most of the campus, the first exam slot that day dealt with classes that were held on Mondays at 2:00 PM, but she had cheer practice then, and Coach Williams had already stated there would be no final for the team. She also knew Ron should have been free as well, as he had football practice in that time slot, but surprisingly he wasn't in the room with her where they'd fallen asleep the night before after taking on a late night mission. She called down to Felix's phone, but the young man didn't know where Ron was either, nor did he have any idea where Rufus was for that matter. Kim got a prickling on the back of her neck, especially when Ron didn't answer his Kimmunicator. She knew she was being paranoid, but still Kim couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Finally she could stand it no longer, and pressed the main call button on her own device.

"What's up, Kim?" Wade answered with a smile on his face.

"Wade, I know I'm probably being a worrywart, but have you talked to Ron this morning?"

The tech genius smiled. "Actually I did. He said he was going for a solo workout, but that you're welcome to join him and Rufus at the gym in Sentinel Station if you're in the mood to. He just didn't want to wake you after you guys got in late from the mission last night."

Kim grinned. "Thanks Wade."

When she arrived at the student gym, Kim quickly changed and headed out to the main workout area. She expected to find Ron on one of the bikes or at a weight station with Rufus providing moral and coaching support. Instead, she found her boyfriend going after a ground-stationed heavy bag with a determined look on his face, the little mole rat standing off to the side with an already half-drunk bottle of water and a towel ready to go. Curious, she decided to take advantage of the fact that neither he nor Rufus had noticed her yet. What she saw surprised her, as Ron was actually pulling off some high-powered moves against the workout aid. But there was one move he couldn't seem to get, a spinning back kick that kept falling either too high or too low from where he intended. Every time he tried it, his face contorted into a frown, and he'd pull out another few attacks before going back to it. His work ethic was surprising to her, and she found herself smiling at the fact that he wasn't giving up no matter how many times he tried and failed. Finally, he appeared to nail his intended area, and Kim couldn't resist clapping.

"KP?" he said in surprise as he took the towel Rufus offered him and wiped the sweat from under his nose. "I thought you'd still be asleep."

She smiled and shook her head. "It's harder to sleep when I don't have my favorite Cuddle Buddy to hold on to."

"But your Pandaroo never leaves your room," he replied with a puzzled look.

"No, silly, I meant you," she giggled as she walked up to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Oh…Ohhh," he said as he caught on. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep, so I came here."

Kim smiled. "Its okay, Ron. Since we're here and both dressed for it, how about a sparring match?"

He grinned as he cocked his head. "Well, it would be better to go against something that can hit back. But only as long as you promise to go full-out."

Kim winked at him. "If you're sure you can handle it, Stoppable."

"Bring it, Possible," he replied with a small pinch of her butt.

She got a look of mock seriousness on her face. "Oh, you are going to pay for that one, Ronnie."

Ron merely grinned and shrugged as he followed her over to the sparring mats. After a few stretches they began, the match quickly heating up. Ron could tell from the start that Kim wasn't treating this like an ordinary match between them, but he managed to keep up with her. At first they were just testing each other, but it quickly became apparent she wasn't playing around. He actually became a little worried when she started adding some of her speed to her skills, although he noticed she was still holding something back. What he didn't expect were the words that started accompanying her moves.

"C'mon Ron, go for it. Show me what you've got," she shot as she let loose a pair of quick side kicks. "I know you're better than this."

Ron looked at her puzzled as he parried the kicks and tried a leg sweep. "Hey, take it easy there, KP. It's just a sparring match."

"Then quit treating it like a patty-cake session," she barked as she threw a one-two punch. "If you're gonna spar with me, then spar."

The young man ducked as a sizzling crescent kick swooped over his head, knocking a few hairs loose with its speed and force. "Whoa, Kim, slow down! You're acting like this is a real fight."

She seemed unfazed however, and followed up the kick with a connected sweep from the other side with the same leg that he barely managed to jump over. "Ron, if this was real you'd already be on the ground. Now pick up the pace."

However, Ron was so caught off guard by her offense that all he could do was defend. "KP, what's gotten into you? This isn't like our normal training!" he exclaimed as he blocked a flurry of punches

"Maybe it's time we stepped up our game," she replied, leaping over him and grabbing both his arms from behind, effectively pinning them at his sides for a minute. "After all, like you said, I have been holding back a bit. And something tells me you have too."

Ron grunted as he twisted out of the move. "Well, yeah, I said that. But Kim, that's against bad guys, not against each other. How can you expect me to go full out when I'm going against you?"

Kim frowned as she dropped into a stance once more. "And what if you do have to fight me someday? Huh? Could you?"

"KP, you're talking nonsense," he replied as he blocked a solid cross chop that stung the forearm he met it with. "What's the deal here?"

Another frown crossed her face. "Ron, I know you've got abilities you're not putting forth. And that someday you may have to use them. Now quit playing around and show me what you've got."

Ron back-flipped to avoid the torrent of attacks she unleashed. "Kim, I'm already pushing myself as far as I can go," he gasped as he paused for a moment in a monkey-styled crouch.

"And I'm telling you Ron that I know that's not true," she responded competitively just before she flipped over him once more. "I know you've got reserves you don't normally use until you're about to go out. Now bring them out."

He blocked and held her descending fist, looking into her eyes and seeing the fire. There was something more than the usual enjoyment—there was an actual fire of desire in those emerald orbs. For whatever reason, she was actually enjoying the fact that he was keeping up with her more than he was normally able to. And surprisingly, he was enjoying himself more as well.

"Okay, Possible, let's do this!" he exclaimed with a grin as he rolled to avoid her follow-up.

The next few moves they pulled out would have sent henchmen running, but for reasons neither of them could explain they were reveling in this pushing of each other's skills. For his part, Ron was amazed just how much he was matching Kim's strikes. Kim, on the other hand, was surprised at how many of her attacks weren't getting through Ron's defense. They were so engrossed in the match that neither noticed the crowd that was beginning to gather around the mat. Nor did they notice just how fast they were actually going.

"Man, can you believe this?" someone called out. "I can't even see some of their moves."

"I know," a girl replied. "I knew they were good, but this is incredible!"

At that moment, both Kim and Ron met in a shin-to-shin high kick that surprised both of them with how forceful it was. But perhaps more surprising to Kim was that Ron was actually smiling at her when the contact was made—almost as if he were enjoying the thrill of facing her on more equal terms. She'd expected to have to push him to see what he could do, but now found herself actually having to improvise a lot more just to keep him from being able to guess her next move. It was a rush she'd never experienced before, not even against Shego, who was probably the most unpredictable when it came to fighting that the red-head had ever faced. In fact, the adrenaline she had going was such a high she didn't even notice Ron's eyes starting to flash between brown and blue.

Ron, on the other hand, could feel something stirring, and was finding that somehow no matter how much energy he used he kept finding more to replace it with. But more than that, he was finding moves he didn't even know he had or could physically pull off. And more than once he caught the fleeting look of surprise on Kim's face when he responded to her strikes with something she hadn't expected. That knowledge started to make him wonder just what he was capable of, so he resolved to push himself further, ignoring the small bits of pain he got from blocking or parrying and instead focusing on what he was going to do next.

That's when a move popped into his head—something he knew could win this, but also might hurt Kim in the process. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, but a few seconds later it was back. He shook his head, closing his eyes for just a second, and in that second Kim pulled off a sweep that sent him on to his back. He saw her leap for the pin-and-kiss that would end the match, but at the same time saw the opening in the move he'd never seen before. And somehow he saw it happening in slow motion. Before he could think, he reacted, sliding just far enough on the ground that she would overshoot and miss. As she sailed over him, he twisted, grabbing her legs and reversing their positions so that he was now the one on top. Before she could counter, he kissed, and when he pulled away there was a look of pure shock on her face. It was also then that they both noticed the decent-sized crowd that had gathered around them, as their audience started clapping and cheering appreciatively.

"Ron, how in the world did you pull that off?" Kim said in bewilderment as she lay there and looked up at him.

"Pull what off, KP?" he asked as he helped her up to a sitting position.

"Ron, you moved without moving," she replied in confusion. "A maneuver like that isn't humanly possible."

"Huh," he answered. "Couldn't really tell you. I just saw an opening and knew instinctively what to do to take advantage of it. Don't really know how I knew; it just kind of came to me when I saw you pounce."

Kim smiled, but then she frowned unexpectedly.

"What's wrong, KP?" Ron asked, a worried look on his face.

"Ron…your eyes…they were blue just now…"

"Blue?" he replied. "What are you talking about?" When he looked in the mirror on the nearby wall, all he saw was his usual chocolate brown.

"Ron…you were using your MMP…"

Ron scratched his head. "But I don't even hear monkeys."

Kim smiled. "I don't know how, but somehow you tapped it a bit."

Now it was Ron's turn to frown, which he did as he stood. "Kim, I know that look—you're thinking we should figure out how I did it."

She nodded while she remained seated. "Yes, I am. Don't you think it's a good idea?"

He shook his head as he helped her to her feet. "KP, I love you, but I am not going to let you go 'Coach Possible' on me. If I'm supposed to figure this out, I will. But I won't force it out until I'm sure I can control it."

"Ron, I'm not talking about forcing it out. I'm talking about figuring out how you access it, so we have it in case we need it."

Ron squinted at her unsurely. "Kim…what's the real reason for this sudden interest in my abilities?"

She grabbed a towel and wiped her sweat away. "Ron, think about it. If you could access that whenever you wanted, it could be a great help on our missions. Just think about what we could do if you could go into Monkey Master mode any time you wished."

Ron shook his head. "I don't know, KP. I tried to use it against Adrena Lynn when she attacked me, and I couldn't pull it out for some reason. If we get too reliant on this, it could backfire. I mean, we don't know anything about it really. What if it has limits?"

Kim sighed. "Okay, fine. But at least promise me you'll think about it?"

Ron took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, already seeing the wheels turning in her head. "Alright, I'll agree to _think_ about it."

Her response was a glowing smile. "Then I'll agree that we'll let it sit for a while."

However, after they showered and he went to take his Intro to Business final and she left for her Civilizations final, he could tell she hadn't even come close to being satisfied with letting the matter sit. He'd seen that look in her eyes more than enough times to know she was already concocting a plan to get him to access more of the Mystical Monkey Power that coursed through his frame. As he sat through his exam, he could only hope she didn't take it as far as she had trying to get Jim and Tim's soccer team to unlock their potential.

**…**  
**…**

Across campus, as she took Dr. Hyde's exam, Kim was actually contemplating that very same thing. Much as she didn't like to admit it, she knew she could get obsessive when she thought she could help someone reach a higher potential in their abilities. But the idea that Ron had been able to access even a tiny spark of his Monkey Kung Fu powers during their sparring session had opened up so many possibilities in her mind that she just couldn't ignore them. Though she fought to stay focused on the test, which as Hyde had warned her was a lot more difficult than she'd expected, her thoughts kept drifting back to deciphering ways of helping Ron claim more of his powers. It got to be such a distraction that although she finished the test, she did so with only a few moments to spare.

* * *

"I begin to wonder, my dear Amelia," Bates growled through clenched teeth, "if this partnership is truly worth the price of bringing Lord Fiske back."

"That makes two of us, Bates," D.N. Amy snapped back. "You've been nothing but a meanie since we arrived here. You know, I didn't have to let you tag along—I could have left you in Middleton for that nasty Team Possible to haul off to jail."

"Let…let me tag along?" he sputtered in anger. "My Dear, we wouldn't have even gotten this far if it were not for my brilliance and determination to keep us on track! What with you _abominations_ constantly roaming all over everything!"

"I told you to STOP calling my babies that!" the rogue geneticist snapped.

The short, stocky man sneered. "And yet you never _do_ anything about it. If this is how you've always behaved, I'm surprised those troublesome young people even bothered to lock you up. In my view, you have absolutely no threat value whatsoever."

D.N. Amy bristled. "No threat? I'll show you _threat_! Tigorillas, attack position!"

Three larger than normal apes with stripes, claws, and longer-than-average teeth bounded forward and formed a protective semi-circle in front of her.

"What are those?" he spat.

"My newest creation—the Tigorilla! Part-tiger, part-gorilla, all bad beastie! A special little surprise I've been cooking up for those nasty teens. Only these, I've added a little something extra, something I'm surprised I've never thought to add before."

"And what would that be?" Bates replied with an unimpressed laugh. "Extra cuddle factor?"

"No," the bespectacled woman answered with a nasty smile, "these babies of mine are capable of rational thought, making them far more of an asset in combat! Team Possible won't be able to treat them like they normally do my creations. As a matter of fact, these have been trained to automatically break any grapple lines those two may fire."

At that moment, a band of monkey ninjas returned to the hideout. Bates sneered at D.N. Amy once more before turning towards the leader.

"Report!"

The monkey shinobi made several gestures along with his chattering, and Bates's grin took on a very maniacal quality.

"Is that so? Then I think it might be time to start planning our next move."

"What did he say?" D.N. Amy asked quizzically.

"He says that there are only two who guard each of the other two of our three intended targets now, despite both being surrounded by others. And that those two meddlers haven't got a clue as to how we plan to achieve our goals! Or who one of our targets is!"

The rogue geneticist began rubbing her hands in evil glee. "Then we can finally start putting the final touches on bringing back Monty-kins!"

Bates smiled evilly. "Yes. And this time, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable won't know what hit them! Especially if they think he's coming back the same as he was! When this works, he'll be stronger than ever, and we'll finally be rid of those pests!"

* * *

a/n

Thanks to my readers, I've now hit 25k hits! I never imagined this when I started writing these stories, but if you guys think I deserve it, I'll take it. :) In the words of a certain blonde we all know: Boo Yeah!

As always, comments and reviews are more than welcome. :)


	26. Chapter 26

A/N

Chapter 26 is up and running!

Sorry for the randomness of the updates lately, but certain aspects of my personal life have gone a little crazy these past few weeks. As a result, I'm not always able to work on this as often as I would like. Hopefully things will settle down soon, but we'll just have to wait and see on that. Now, on to the story:

Kim and Ron finish up their first semester and prepare for the winter break. And during their packing and the trip, a few discussions pop up.

Back at the newly rebuilt Possible house, a few surprises await, including one that was totally unexpected...

Kim and Ron have a few moments to themselves, and an innocent question brings up a somewhat touchy subject.

Kim and Ron prepare for the Venice mission, and their parents voice some concerns.

Then the transport arrives, complete with a surprise and a connection to Team Possible's past.

The plans of a group near completion.

And finally, Kim has some private reflection time, and gets some advice from an unexpected source.

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"He says that there are only two who guard each of the other two of our three intended targets now, despite both being surrounded by others. And that those two meddlers haven't got a clue as to how we plan to achieve our goals! Or who one of our targets is!"

The rogue geneticist began rubbing her hands in evil glee. "Then we can finally start putting the final touches on bringing back Monty-kins!"

Bates smiled evilly. "Yes. And this time, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable won't know what hit them! Especially if they think he's coming back the same as he was! When this works, he'll be stronger than ever, and we'll finally be rid of those pests!"

* * *

Final exams finally wrapped up for the students of Global Vanguard U. on Wednesday, December 13th, a day that Kim and Ron couldn't wait for its arrival. The moment they returned from their last exams, even though it was barely noon, both of them fell into his bed fully dressed for a sorely-needed refresher nap. When they awoke a few hours later, Ron frowned when Kim insisted that they start packing for the winter break and try to leave that afternoon. The dorms weren't closing for the holidays until Friday, but there was a good chance of snow heading their way that evening. And while the Sloth was probably the most well-equipped vehicle in the world for traveling in weather that could be treacherous or hazardous, Kim didn't want to risk the three of them getting caught in the middle of a snowstorm.

While Ron packed for the few weeks they'd be gone, Rufus decided to head down the hall once more to grab some of the Swiss cheese rolls the RA Max Argyle had waiting for him. At first, Ron had put a stop to the mole rat's venturing down the hall on his own after it was revealed he was a target, but after so many weeks of no sign of Bates or D.N. Amy, the young man had finally given in to Rufus's complaining and allowed the little guy to resume his solo treks down the hall to obtain the free cheese the senior had offered him the first day they arrived. After all, it saved Ron a heck of a lot of money on buying the cheese himself. And it was only a few doors down the hall, so it wasn't like Rufus was out in the open by himself for very long. Really the only problem was that Rufus sometimes gorged himself too much and couldn't fit back under the door into Ron and Felix's Unit, but that problem was fixed by a little buzzer that Wade had whipped up. All Rufus had to do was press the small button the tech genius had attached to the bottom of the door frame, and either Ron or Felix would let him in.

As Ron watched the mole rat scamper the few feet down the hall, he smiled, grateful that it wasn't just him and Kim making new friends here at the school. Then he returned to his bedroom to continue packing his suitcases.

Really, though, this break wasn't just going to be a simple trip home for Kim and Ron, as it contained two very important things. The first was a special mission to Venice that Team Possible had set aside a full week for. At the request of Sheila Godfrey and Andy Lipsky, they would be traveling to the beautiful city known for its waterways and gondolas to search for Sheila's parents, Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey, and hopefully bring them back with them to the States so that they could attend their daughter's wedding and be there for the birth of their grandchildren. While they certainly hoped it wouldn't take that long, Kim and Ron had decided on a week-long stay at maximum—mainly because they had figured that if they didn't find the pair by then it meant that the Godfreys didn't want to be found.

The second event was slightly more important, at least it was for Kim and Ron. So far, the duo had told her dad's parents, her mom's parents, and his mother's parents about their engagement. That left only one family visit to go, to see Ron's paternal grandparents in Clarksburg, West Virginia. From what Ron had told her, this visit was probably going to fall somewhere between Montana and Mississippi in terms of acceptance and how enjoyable it was. Kim was personally looking forward to the meeting, particularly because she'd been told several times by Jean Stoppable that the woman's son and Gene's father were like two peas in a pod. That trip would actually begin once they finished the Venice mission, and unlike the other two family trips, Kim and Ron would be arriving separately in the Sloth. That also meant at least two days of solo travel for the two of them, something Kim was especially looking forward to.

But before either of those could get started, they had to get packed up and head back to Middleton. They would still be coming back to their same Units when school resumed after the first of the year, but only those with special permission or conditions were being allowed to stay on the G.V.U. campus during the winter break. And so they packed up their suitcases and a few items they knew they wanted to have on the break, and began loading them into the Sloth. But some things just couldn't go…or fit for that matter…

"Aww c'mon, KP. You don't need _every_ book you own. You won't even have time to read them all anyway."

Kim shook her head as she tried to force the second of the two book boxes into the back seat along with the rest of their regular stuff—the trunk was already crammed with most of their mission gear, including the battle suits (not that they thought they'd need them for the coming mission, but just in case).

"It will fit, Ron. I know it will fit."

"Kim, you're the one who said you wanted to be out by six, and it's already 6:30. Just leave one of them here."

Kim frowned. "You know, you don't have to bring all of Rufus's cages and tunnels with us either. He rarely uses them anyways. Even that week or so he stayed with me when you and your family took that trip to Paris, he chose to sleep on a pile of some of my clothes."

Ron nodded at that logic. "Okay, fair enough, but there's still not gonna be enough room for both of your book boxes. Why are you trying to bring all of them with us anyways?"

Kim fixed him with a pointed stare as she set down the second box. "Because I like to read, you know that."

Ron smiled. "Got me there, I guess. My lady does like a bon-diggity book."

Kim grinned, but also put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "It's not just the reading though. Lately I keep wondering if I should try my hand at it. I did write a couple of _Agony County_ fanfics in high school. And you said yourself they were pretty good."

Ron shrugged. "True. Not to mention the over three thousand pages you've written in your journals, blogs, and diaries."

"Over _five_ thousand pages, please and thank you," Kim replied with a giggle. "And there are still some of those you aren't going to have access to until we've been married for at least twenty-five years…if I ever let you read them."

Ron winked. "Hey, I could always have Wade do a search for them."

"To which he'll say no," she replied with confidence in her smile and a self-assured flip of her hair. "Unless he wants me to let out a few things I know about him. Not to mention that some of them are real world instead of online just so he can't do that. Now quit gawking and give me a hand with this."

However, after both of them trying unsuccessfully for several more minutes to insert the box into the back seat, she was finally forced to admit it just wasn't going to fit. Ron took the box back up to her Unit, picking up Rufus from his Unit on the way, and the three of them got on the road. Before they were ten minutes towards home, the snow started falling, but thankfully it didn't really get going until they were off the highway and had entered the Middleton city limits. As they drove, they marveled at how much of the city had already been rebuilt from the alien attack that spring—or at least, as much of the rebuilding as they could see through the snowfall.

"Not really that surprising, considering how fast they rebuilt from the Lil' Diablos," quipped Ron from the passenger seat.

"Actually, Ronnie," Kim said with a smile, "I think it might have more to do with all of our missions than just with that one. One of the projects Mayor Bennett pushed through city council our junior year was a proposal to get the debris from the aftermath of our missions cleaned up faster. And since we were involved in the alien attack, I think the clean-up of that falls under his proposal's guidelines."

"Makes sense, I guess," the blonde replied as looked out the window at the buildings rapidly gaining snowcaps, "Although it does make me wonder now about why that took so long to pass. I mean I hate to say it, but more than once some of our missions have tended to hit rather close to home."

Kim merely shrugged as she made the turn onto the road that led into their neighborhood. "Well, if you think about it, most of our adventures and assignments take place halfway around the world. I mean, there's only maybe a handful where the villain came to us. And some of the villains never really did a lot of damage while they were here in Middleton."

As she pulled onto the street where they both lived, she sighed a bit. Even though her family's home was fully rebuilt now inside and out, she still missed seeing how her father and brothers decorated each winter holiday season. However, all of the decorations had been destroyed when the previous house was, and her parents had yet to restock the lights and trimmings. As she pulled the Sloth into the driveway, she marveled at how much different the house looked with the two extra rooms on the second floor. Regardless though, it was still good to be able to come home to her family's house once again.

As she pulled the car into the drive, both she and Ron noticed something odd. The yard was covered in snow already from the current system, as well as from previous snowfalls, but it looked virtually untouched. Jim and Tim were both well-known snow lovers, often trying to make snowballs (mostly for throwing at their sister) from the slightest flurry, and for the yard to look like the two of them hadn't even touched it was something truly unusual. As Kim and Ron entered the house, however, they got a partial answer to the puzzling sitch…

"Take it back!" Tim yelled as he wrestled with his twin, already sporting a bruise on the side of his face.

"I will when Elena apologizes to Kara!" Jim retorted as he fought back.

"Boys! Boys!" Anne yelled out as she tried in vain to separate her sons. "Both of you cool it right now!"

"He started it!" Tim huffed, still holding his brother by the neck of his shirt.

"I did not!" Jim growled, himself refusing to let go of Tim's sleeve. "You did when you refused to say anything to Elena about what she said to Kara at school!"

"All she said was that she thought someone with brains would like Dexter instead of Nicky Nick as a solo act. She wasn't insulting her!"

"Jim! Tim! Enough!" Anne replied angrily. "Both of you are letting this get between you!"

At that moment she saw Kim and Ron, and immediately pointed at the twins. "Help me!"

Kim and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and each grabbed a struggling fourteen-year-old and pulled him away from his brother. The two boys tried to break free of the hold a few times, but quickly gave up their efforts. Once they were both semi-calmed down, Anne had them both quickly seated on the couch.

"Boys, I want to know right now what this is all about," she said in a tone that definitively stated the fighting had better be over. "And since I know that Jim threw the first punch, I want him to start."

Jim frowned. "Kara called me and said that Elena said she didn't have a brain, and that Jim was standing right there when it happened."

"And I'm TELLING you," Tim replied with a fire behind his voice, "that that is not what she said. She was merely surprised that Kara likes Nicky Nick's solo album better than she likes Dexter's because she thought all smart girls liked Dexter. She wasn't…"

Anne held up her hand. "That's enough, Tim! I will get your side of this, but right now your brother has the floor."

Kim looked at Ron nervously, and the two of them quietly slipped into the kitchen where they found her father coming in from the back yard. He looked at their expressions and then looked down in frustration. "Not again," he groaned. "Where are they?"

Kim pointed to the living room, and James pulled off his coat and gloves before entering. As he left, Kim and Ron sat at the table in the breakfast nook.

"Wonder how long that's been going on," quipped Ron.

"I don't know," she replied with a worried glance at the living room. "I mean, I knew they couldn't be in sync forever, but this is ferociously weird for the two of them to be like this so quickly."

At that moment, Anne came into the kitchen throwing up her hands in frustration, apparently having needed some time to cool off herself. After a minute, she appeared to notice Kim and Ron a second time.

"Sorry you two had to see that," she said with a grimace. "Jim and Tim have started drifting apart, and the past few weeks it's gotten kind of out of control. Particularly where Kara and Elena are concerned."

Kim nodded. "It's perfectly fine, Mom. Really."

"So who are Kara and Elena?" Ron said with a smile.

"Jim and Tim's girlfriends," Anne replied with a sigh. "Kara Matthews and Elena Flores. Those two girls are best friends but as different as night and day, and it has begun to rub off on the boys."

"Matthews and Flores? As in Tara and Zita's little sisters?" exclaimed Ron in surprise.

"The Tweebs have girlfriends?" Kim said with a grin.

"Yes, the younger sisters of Tara and Zita. And you will not tease them about it, Kimberly Anne," her mother replied with a knowing smile. "They didn't tease you about Walter because he was your first, so you won't tease them about their first girlfriends."

"Mom, they were nine!" the younger Possible woman retorted. "Teasing me was all they did, especially about Walter!"

"I don't care, Kim," her mother stated matter-of-factly. "The situation is causing enough trouble as it is. And don't think that just because you're engaged it will keep you from getting in trouble, young lady. Or that you're too old for it. I said 'no teasing' and I meant it."

James came in at that moment. "Well, they're both in their rooms now for some cooling off," he said with a heavy and weary sigh. "And what's this I'm hearing about 'no teasing'?"

Anne smiled wryly. "Your daughter was simply plotting a little revenge on her brothers, and I told her to stop."

James shook his head and laughed. "Anne, I hate to say it, but you're on your own enforcing that one. I'll only step in to that minefield if she happens to push the ribbing too far."

Anne hit him with a not-amused stare that showed Ron exactly where Kim had inherited her version. "James, it's already enough of a hassle dealing with those two going through this 'separate identity' phase and wanting to be different. I don't want to add more logs to the blaze."

James grinned. "If I remember correctly, you weren't too happy when your mother laid down the law about teasing Laura when she and Philip got together. And now you expect Kimmie to follow a rule you didn't follow yourself?"

Anne rolled her eyes. "Fine." Then she looked at Kim. "But I'm holding you to what your father said about pushing it too far, Kimberly. And I think you know exactly what I mean about you can still get in trouble and that you're not too old for it. The same rules still apply."

Kim nodded slowly, the slight hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Yes, Ma'am, I know."

James smiled. "On a different subject, how does it feel to be done with your first semester of college, you two? Feel smarter yet?"

Ron shook his head. "Personally, I'm just glad it's over. I'm not too sure how many more Intro to Business lectures I could have stayed awake through. I swear Professor Gavin could probably put Hana to sleep even after someone gives her cotton candy or jelly beans first."

Kim sighed. "Well, I'm just glad to be out of Dr. Hyde's History class. I mean I still don't get why he thought I wanted special treatment. But at least I'll never have to take him again."

Ron suddenly went pale. "Umm…did you say Dr. Hyde was your…History professor? I thought he was your, you know…your Philosophy teacher…"

The red-head looked at him in disbelief. "You didn't."

But one look at his face told her he had. Class sign-ups for the next semester had occurred the week before finals, and Kim had specifically warned all her friends to do whatever they could to stay out of Hyde's classes. But evidently Ron had misunderstood what subject the demon taught, and had somehow ended up in one of the old codger's classes.

"Which one do you have him for, Ron?" Anne said with a frown, well aware of the situation between her daughter and the tenured professor.

"Umm…well…"

As she saw him turn paler, a thought shot through Kim's mind. "Ron," she intoned with a slightly raised eyebrow, "what class do you have Hyde for?"

"Umm…better question is what class do…umm…_we_ have him for…"

Kim shut her eyes and grimaced, and immediately began rubbing her temples. "Please tell me you didn't."

Ron laughed nervously. "Sorry, KP, I honestly thought you said he was your Philosophy teacher. And when I saw the name, I just thought it was another faculty member."

James smiled sympathetically. "So, to answer the question that still has yet to be answered, which class will apparently both of you two have him for?"

Kim's head hit the table with a bang of frustration that rattled the centerpieces. "Honors Aspects of Government," she groaned. "Probably one of the _most_ ferociously boring classes I'll have to take in college. All the class deals with is a more in-depth study of the stuff we learned in Civics in eighth grade and in U.S. History in eleventh, plus a look at the other types of governments out there. But it's also a class every G.V.U. student has to take and can't test out of. And with the way our schedules fall, we can't take anyone else. And anything else is probably full by now."

Anne was puzzled. "Kimmie, how could Ron's not knowing who you were referring to mean that you have to take him too?"

Ron put his arm around Kim supportively, and he was that relieved she didn't push it off. "That's my fault, Mrs. Dr. P. KP and I decided we wanted to take as many classes together these two semesters as we could, and because of where my major classes fall and where a couple of our other required classes fall, we figured why not take it. But I didn't pay attention to the name when I signed up, and Kim automatically signed up for the same class I did."

Anne shook her head. "Well then, Kimmie, it sounds like you've learned yourself a lesson about just signing up for classes without checking what you're signing up for."

"I know," Kim sighed as she slowly sat up rubbing her forehead. Then she brightened. "Hey, maybe we could drop the class. I mean, we would still have pretty full schedules without it."

Ron cringed. "You can, but I can't. According to my advisor Mr. Grant, I have to take it now if I want to take the Honors course. Otherwise I won't make it out in four."

Kim groaned then smiled. "Well…I guess we're taking it then, cause I promised I'd take it with you. Just promise me you'll never sign up for another Hyde class once we finish this one."

"Promise," the young man replied with a smile.

At that moment, the phone rang, and Anne answered.

"Possible residence, Anne speaking. Oh, hi, Jeanette. Yes, they're here. What? Are you sure? I know the kids were planning on coming over there in a little bit. Well, okay, we'll make sure they stop by in the morning. Okay, talk to you later."

As she hung up the phone, Anne glanced out the window, and was surprised to see the falling snow swirling thickly enough that she could barely see the house of their next-door neighbor. Then she turned back towards the two young people and her husband.

"Ron, your mother says you and Rufus are to stay here tonight, no argument. She said there's already been one wreck in front of your house because of the weather, and she doesn't want you and Kim to be in a second one."

Ron smiled. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Dr. P."

The rest of the night was spent in the house bunkered down from the weather. Jim and Tim came out of their rooms after about an hour, and apparently whatever had been said after Kim and Ron left the room had had its desired effect, as they seemed somewhat back to their old selves. They even let loose a few times with their signature tandem phrase of "Hicka Bicka Boo…Hoosha!" while the family made s'mores and popcorn over the fireplace and watched a few holiday films. Kim and Ron spent the better part of the evening nestled under a blanket on the couch, simply cuddling together while they enjoyed the company of her family.

The other members of the Possible clan started heading to bed around eleven, but Kim and Ron decided to stay up a little bit later for a little bit more fireside snuggling. Actually, it was more like ember-side snuggling, as the fireplace now only showed the glowing embers from the fire, giving the room a soft yet warm glow. Sensing that his humans needed some time alone with just the two of them, Rufus headed off into the guest room where Ron would supposedly be sleeping that night—but that wasn't before he demolished the last of the marshmallows. However once that task was done, he slipped quietly into the side bedroom.

Ron smiled as Kim snuggled up closer to him. "Whatcha thinking about?" he said with a grin.

Kim sighed peacefully. "Oh nothing. Just that I think we might need to put a fireplace in the bedroom when we build our own place."

The young man grinned. "Yeah, snuggling here with you is pretty nice." Then he thought of something. "Hey, KP, do you mind if I ask you a question? Something you might find kind of embarrassing?"

"Hmm?" she replied dreamily.

"What did you mom mean back there when she said you're not too old for it?"

Ron immediately felt the heat rising in the red-head's cheeks. "Umm…that…uhhh…well…" she stammered.

Immediately he shook his head and kissed the top of hers. "Don't worry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Kim audibly swallowed. "No…no…it's not that. It's just…a little embarrassing, okay?" She took a deep breath. "For the most part, my parents are strictly the type who ground or remove privileges for most things. But if I or my brothers do something serious, like say for instance something that's a direct contradiction to what they say, they tend to take a more…_direct_ approach."

Ron blinked. "Wait…are you saying that…"

Kim nodded a little nervously. "Yes, Ron I am. Why do you think there were one or two times I wouldn't sit down on the plane rides to missions when we were in high school?"

The young man stammered a bit. "I…I thought…that you were…you know…anxious about the mission…or something like that…" Then he blinked a few times. "Wait, are you saying you could still get…_that_?"

The red-head looked away a bit and nodded. "It hasn't happened since I was sixteen, but I'd bet our entire set of missions that Mom was completely serious about her threat."

"Ohhh…" was all he said.

Kim glanced up at him. "Ron, what are you thinking on this?"

"Umm…" he replied, unable to look her in the eye.

However, she noticed the slight signals of nervousness on his face, and was hit with a possible realization.

"Ron, my parents aren't the only ones who do that, are they?"

"Well…umm…I haven't gotten it since I was like…eight, or so. It had something to do with the fact that my parents' views on the subject, particularly my mom's, changed for some reason. And I don't know of a single thing Hana has done that warranted it, so I don't know if it's because they think I got too old or because they decided to stop it altogether. But yeah, I know exactly what you mean."

Kim turned her gaze towards the fireplace as the last log finally weakened enough to collapse, sending up a small shower of sparks. "Ron, I understand both of our parents' views. But what are yours?"

Ron gulped, having been hoping she wouldn't take the opening the conversation was leaving in its wake. "Uh, well…I do know that I have had the notion that when it came to that, you'd probably have to be the strict parent. I mean, I have a feeling I might end up being the goofy parent that the kids have a little trouble taking completely seriously even when I'm trying to be. I mean, even June called me a goofball this summer."

Kim sighed. "Ron, serious answer here, please and thank you. Now, what are your views on it?"

Ron grimaced. _No getting out of this, then._ "Well…I'd have to say I…I kind of think there should be a blend of what both our families have done. I mean, I agree with your parents that it should only be as a last resort, but I also think that kids reach a certain age where it becomes…I guess the word would be _ineffective_, simply because it becomes more of an embarrassing thing than a deterrent."

He was surprised when Kim grinned and kissed his cheek. "Sounds like another thing we tend to agree on, Ronnie. Cause I have the same views on the matter—should only be used as an absolutely last resort. Though I do disagree about your assessment that I'll always have to be the strict one. I've seen you be tough when you had to be, like in August when you made me take a night off from everything."

Ron frowned. "Even if one of them hits me with a Puppy Dog Pout?"

Kim couldn't resist a giggle. "Even then. Ron, if you can resist me doing that, you'll definitely be able to when we have kids."

Ron grinned. "Well, if the most bon-diggity woman on the planet thinks I'll be able to be a good dad, who am I to argue?"

They both fell silent, and sat there until a yawn from Kim about twenty minutes later convinced them both that they needed to turn in, especially considering they were heading out on extended mission the following afternoon. Ron escorted Kim up to her hatch before kissing her goodnight and returning down to the guest bedroom situated off the Possibles' living room. As he climbed into the bed, he couldn't resist a smile. One of the things that genuinely scared him every time he and Kim talked about their futures was how he'd rate as a dad, especially considering his leanings in personality. After all, if it weren't for Kim in his life, he knew he might be looking seriously at the idea he'd looked at as a young teenager about imitating his Uncle Gabe's confirmed bachelor status.

That thought brought to mind that in hopefully just over a week he'd be introducing Kim to his dad's family. The trip to Clarksburg, West Virginia was supposed to be the last of the family visits, and unless something happened, he wasn't expecting any real trouble out of the encounter. If anything, he knew some of the Stoppable family traditions might surprise her, but all in all he wasn't too worried. Really, the only thing he worried about was what she might think when she met a few of his more…_unique_ family members. But considering she didn't even flinch at the weirdest of their villains, it wasn't that big a concern in his mind as he gradually drifted off to the depths of dreamland.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Up in her room, Kim couldn't seem to get comfortable. She knew this was her bedroom, and that her parents had done a superb job recreating her room from the old house, right down to matching the types of furniture and the colors of the sheets and paint on the walls. But there was just something that for some reason didn't feel quite like home as much as it used to. As she turned over and looked out the window, her eyes fell on a very familiar yellow house a few backyards away. As she lay there and focused on the shadow of the Stoppable house with its snow-capped roof glistening in the moonlight, she realized exactly why she didn't feel right, and the answer caught her by slight surprise.

Normally, there would be a young blonde man laying there next to her that she could snuggle up against and lay her head on his firm chest. Over the past few months, his slightly firm chest and strong, supportive arms had become more comfortable to her that the most relaxing pillow, and the slow rise and fall of his breathing had become the best method for falling asleep she'd ever experienced. Now, without her sleep aides, she felt awkward and restless, even lying here in her own room nestled in what was supposed to be her own bed. In her dorm at G.V.U. on nights they'd actually spent sleeping in their own rooms, she'd never noticed the difference simply because Ron's scent was so ingrained into her sheets, blankets, and pillows that even if she wanted to she'd never be able to wash it out. But here, at her home, the sheets were crisp with the mountain breeze scent her mother favored for the laundry detergent, and the pillows lacked that familiar dent the young man's head made. In high school, the fresh smell of clean sheets had always been able to produce a soothing and sleep-inducing effect on the red-head, but now it just seemed like an invasion of her senses. And that invasion kept her awake as she lay there pondering how to counteract it.

She tossed and turned for a bit before she suddenly got an idea so obvious it surprised her she hadn't thought of it before. Going to her suitcase, she pulled out two of the red jerseys he always wore that she'd claimed as night shirts shortly after they started dating, and brought them back to her bed. The smell wasn't as strong as the real thing, but it was definitely Ron, and she smiled as she bundled them up into a pile and placed them on the pillow next to her. Shortly before she fell asleep, Kim pulled the shirts closer, her smile growing as the familiar scent of her love lulled her peacefully off to dreamland.

* * *

The next morning, Kim and Ron got an early start on the day, engaging in their morning workout before her father even went out for the paper. And during breakfast, Anne had to chide them more than once for checking their gear at the table while they were eating. Shortly after 8:00 AM, the equipment was checked, and the mission clothes packed and ready. They were also taking along a few casual outfits and a couple dressier ones in case they needed to keep a low profile at some point during their scouting and recon. Soon after that, they hugged her family and headed over to see his.

Gene and Jean were just waking up with Hana when Kim and Ron arrived. Jean smiled when she answered the door, apparently very glad the two had decided to stay at the Possibles' the night before, and with good reason—there were actually several skid and crash tracks in the snow in front of the Stoppable house. Though they had already had breakfast, Kim and Ron both agreed to small portions of the food his mother fixed them…while Rufus gladly finished the rest.

"So are you taking Kimberly's cousin on this?" Gene asked as he sipped his coffee.

Kim shook her head as she bit into her toast. "One of the first things we said about Joss joining the team is that my Uncle Slim has to approve until she's been on the team for at least a year, just like you and Mrs. S. and my parents were our first year on this. Plus, we don't know exactly what we're going to be facing. All the information we have right now is that the Godfreys faked their deaths and fled the country, and that somehow a group called the Risattis is involved. Not our typical comfort zone, but we agreed to it so we're going to do it."

Ron nodded. "Not to mention we don't really know how long this one's going to take. We do know if we haven't located them and convinced them to come back in a week, we're going to assume they don't want to come back. And Sheila said she's okay with that, just as long as we at least tell them the situation so they know why we came to find them in the first place."

Jean frowned as she helped Hana with her breakfast. "Risatti? They aren't connected with Carmine Risatti are they? Because that monster is one of the most notorious mob bosses out there. And it's no secret what he does to people he doesn't like."

Ron nodded grimly. "One and the same, unfortunately. But Mom, don't worry—we're not going over there to stir up trouble for the Italian Mob, just to get Sheila's parents. Both me and KP are really hoping this is a simple cut-and-dry extraction and nothing more."

Gene smiled. "Jeanette, I wouldn't worry about this. Kimberly and Ronald both have good heads on their shoulders. They know when a situation is getting too dangerous and they need to pull out."

Jean nodded, but Ron could tell his mother wasn't convinced. "Just promise me you'll call us every night so we know you're okay."

Ron smiled. "Of course, Mom. And don't worry: we'll be back here in the States by next Thursday and at Grandpap and Meemaw's by Saturday."

Kim grinned, joining in her fiancé's friendly reassurances. "He's right, Mrs. S. And if we have our say, we'll be there before that."

Around noon, their transport arrived. Since this was going to be an extended mission, the hover jet landed so they could load up their suitcases. Both families were there to see them off, the fathers waving supportively while the mothers looked on worriedly. Kim and Ron waved from the hatch as the craft rose into the air, and kept waving long after the hover jet had begun streaking off towards the east. It wasn't until they had both settled down and Kim went to check with the pilot that they got a big surprise. When they discovered the problem, Kim's hand flew to her Kimmunicator.

"Wade!" she intoned calmly but louder than normal. "What's the sitch here? This plane has no pilot!"

"I beg your pardon, Miss Possible, it does so have a pilot—me," rang a pleasant male computerized voice in a slightly offended manner.

Kim glanced around nervously, unable to see the person speaking.

Ron also searched around with a confused look on his face. "What's going on?"

Wade came on a view screen that slid down from the ceiling. "Got you guys a real treat for this. You remember Dr. Freeman and SADI, right?"

Kim looked from side to side, still trying to find the source of the voice. "Of course. Dr. Freeman created an SUV named SADI, or the Self-Automated Driving Intelligence, because he didn't want to learn how to drive but still wanted to be able to get around."

Wade grinned. "Well, apparently Dr. Freeman likes to take his own plane on trips as well, but didn't want to get a pilot's license either. So, he decided to create our friend SAI-AT here."

"Sigh at?" Ron replied, scratching his head.

"Self-Automated Intelligent Aerial Transport," the male voice came again, this time in a much more relaxed tone. "Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, it is a pleasure to meet you. My older sister SADI speaks very highly of the two of you and the rescue you pulled to release our creator Dr. Freeman from the clutches of that blue man and green woman. As does Dr. Freeman himself."

Kim smiled, visibly relaxing. "Nice to meet you, SAI-AT. I take it you're going to be our transport for this whole sitch?"

"That is correct, Miss Possible. I will also be serving as your accommodations during this trip. I have enough supplies and amenities stocked in the cargo hold to sustain two people comfortably for one week, the agreed upon time between Mr. Load and Dr. Freeman. I also have extra supplies for the two extra passengers on the flight back home. And speaking of flying, Miss Possible, we have just crossed the first time zone line and are now in the Central Time Zone. Would you like markers at each cross?"

Kim shook her head. "No thank you. Just let us know when we're around two hours from Italy. And wake us up if we're asleep."

"Of course. If you wish, my rear compartment has been set up into a one-room studio with bed for the two of you. And I would also note that if you wish I may disable the cameras to give the two of you some privacy. You will also find a fully functional restroom and full-sized shower facility back there, as well as the convenience of a self-stocking fridge that will cycle over to fresh food each day."

Ron couldn't resist a grin. "Sounds like Dr. Freeman really set us up."

SAI-AT laughed hard enough that had he not been a computer he would have been doubled-over. "Oh no, Mr. Stoppable. Dr. Freeman simply likes to impress his lady friends, so he filled me with as many bells and whistles as he could make fit. But don't worry, the mattress, pillows, and sheets were all put back there fresh before he dispatched me to you."

Kim smiled, and felt an unexpected yawn escape her lips as she did so. "Well, I for one am going to take advantage of a chance to get some more sleep. Care to join me, Ronnie?"

Ron grinned. "Boo Yeah."

"Sleep tight you two," SAI-AT offered pleasantly. "I'll turn off the cameras back there and alert you when we reach our destination."

* * *

Ivan Gerhardt frowned as he went over the plans before him. Of the six lower-level agents he'd dispatched to infiltrate G.V.U., only four could currently be counted on. Actually there was one more who could most likely be trusted, but since the WEE had learned he was currently sitting in one of the CSIS's holding facilities he was basically a non-factor. And since there had been no contact with him, Gerhardt had no idea which of his other agents had gone turncoat on them. He glanced at the five remaining photos, trying to decipher from their faces which one was a traitor.

At that moment, Gemini came walking up. "Agent Alpha," he said coolly, "how goes the set-up for our operation?"

Gerhardt frowned. "I think we may have to call on a few of the sleeper agents, Great Gemini. I know we have at least one traitor among the lower-class agents, and that puts the odds just barely in our favor in a fight with Team Possible."

Gemini narrowed his eyes. "Those agents have been there for a very long time for other purposes, Agent Alpha. It is because of some of them that we have the information we have."

Gerhardt nodded. "I understand that, Sir. However, I think it worth the risk. We know that Possible can take on multiple opponents, and with his growing abilities I'm willing to wager that Stoppable may pose a threat almost equal to her. And with the scale of this operation, I would rather have more agents on the task and increase our success than take a chance on failing because our force is too small."

Gemini thought about that for a moment, rubbing his chin with his flesh and blood hand. "Very well, I will grant this request on one condition. That you, Agent Alpha, be there personally to lead the operation."

The patch-eyed leader of the WEE was surprised to see the evil smile that began working its way under the dark mustache and across the face of his current second-in-command. "A chance to pay them back personally for the humiliation they caused me? Gemini, you bargain far too easily."

* * *

The queen-sized bed in SAI-AT's rear compartment was surprisingly comfortable, and both Kim and Ron relished being able to stretch out a bit. Of course they still snuggled closely as they slept, but it was nice to not have to press up against the wall or worry about falling off the edge of the bed for a change. Kim woke after only a few hours, having only needed a quick recharge nap, but Ron remained dead to the world as he snored peacefully. As she lay there wrapped securely in his arms, the red-head couldn't help but smile.

However, after another hour like that certain things had to be answered, and she was forced to carefully extract herself from Ron's embrace. She smiled as she took note that the bathroom and shower were indeed full-sized amenities, and used the opportunity to get cleaned up a bit. One thing no one could accuse Kim Possible of was her inattention to hygiene, and she enjoyed the feeling of the warm water cascading down her skin. She also used the time to work out a few kinks in her neck that had started popping up recently. Kim knew it was merely from her most recent growth spurt slowing down, although she had hoped she might end up a little taller than she was. After all, Ron had managed to reach a nice 6'3", and compared to him her 5'10" frame seemed relatively short. She was starting to love getting kissed on the top of her head, but she also had enjoyed being one of the taller girls in high school. As she shut off the water, she admitted that at least she'd managed to avoid the dreaded "Freshman Fifteen" weight gain that so many of her friends had worried about—although that probably had to do with the missions more than anything else.

Once she was dressed, she selected a good-sized sprig of white grapes from the fridge and popped a few in her mouth. As she enjoyed her snack, Kim couldn't help but wonder about what it would be like once the missions stopped. She knew there would be at least two periods where the missions had to be put on hold when she eventually got pregnant, but she really did stand by what she had told Heather Tyler in May—that she'd like for her and Ron to still be able to do the missions when they were in their forties and fifties. Sixties might be pushing it a bit, but hey, Señor Senior, Sr. was still doing the villainy thing in his sixties, so why couldn't they be doing the hero thing? Although, Kim had to admit to herself, by the time they hit their forties they might be so busy taking care of their own world that the rest might need to be put on the back-burner. Or maybe sooner if it turned out the world-saving business clashed too much with raising a family. And if that was the case, what would she do for a living? Ron had his dream of opening a restaurant or two, but what did she have?

Over a semester in college under her belt, and Kim Possible still didn't have any answer for what she wanted to do with the "normal" part of her life. The more she thought about it, the less appealing a full-time career with Global Justice sounded. Free-lancing for them might be nice, but Kim had begun to wonder if the regimented yet hectic schedule she'd seen Will Du and Dr. Director have to follow was worth the large paychecks she knew they took home. Even Hirotaka's older sister Tomoe had looked like she was sometimes stretched thin by the hours the red-head knew Global Justice agents had to keep. And then there was the matter of never being able to stop looking behind you, something Kim wasn't sure she wanted to still be doing when she eventually hit her golden years. Not to mention that she would no longer be able to simply follow her own moral compass when it came to what missions she chose to accept or reject.

As she tossed the remains of her grape snack into a waste bin, she sighed and wandered out into the main area of the plane.

"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Possible?" came SAI-AT's voice.

Kim slowly wandered towards the front view panel to stare out at the clouds and the Atlantic passing below them. "Just some teenager stuff, SAI. Not really sure how much help you could be on it."

"They do say that talking about a problem helps more than stewing about it," the artificial intelligence answered with a smile to his voice. "And Dr. Freeman did program me with the same human interaction software he gave my big sister SADI. I know it's not the same as talking to another person, but I am willing to listen and offer what I can on the matter."

Kim half-grinned. "I suppose you're right. You know, I envy you in a way. You were programmed with a purpose to your existence, with something to do. Me, I don't even have a single clue what I want to do after I get out of college."

"Ahhh, I see. And you are at one of those critical human points where it is determined you must choose which path to take." Kim could just picture the voice belonging to a nodding therapist or guidance counselor.

"Exactly," she replied as she sat in one of the vista seats and leaned back. "I mean all this time it's been, 'Do whatever you want to do with your life…infinite possibilities'. But now they're saying I have to pick something and stick with it."

SAI-AT laughed a little. "Miss Possible, forgive me, but I have a fact in my accessible databases that seems relevant to this discussion. Although the precise numbers are disputed, it is believed that barely thirty percent of the United States population actually use their college degrees for what they intended to use them for. Most simply obtain the degree to be able to say they have one, or to get further training in the field they wish to pursue. To most, the actual degree itself remains relatively useless in their daily lives."

Kim frowned. "But the thing is I don't know what I want to pursue."

"Well then, tell me what you like to do," the computerized voice offered.

Kim sighed. "Well, I love to do the mission work, but I can't really make a full career out of that without adhering to a lot of regulations I'm not sure I agree with. I also love to read, but there aren't a lot of jobs that relate to that other than librarian, and I don't think I'd be happy with sitting by myself all day at some desk checking books in and out."

"What about hobbies?"

Kim smirked a little humorously. "Well, as much as I think Ron would love the idea, I don't want to be a professional cheerleader for some sports team. Nothing against them, but it just seems like a stereotypical women's profession and I don't really like the idea of shaking like that for a bunch of drunks making leers and cat-calls at me."

"Anything you particularly enjoy doing in your spare time? Maybe there's something that in a perfect world you'd love to make a career out of it but are worried about the money issue when you look at doing it in real life."

Kim smiled. "Well…I suppose I do like to pass on to others what I know, so I guess I could become a teacher of some sort. Although that might cut into the missions and I'd really like to keep doing them. I also like to write some, but I've never really sat down and cracked out anything really worth reading."

"Well then maybe you should," SAI-AT replied. "Maybe you should try and become a poet or a writer. I know it's a slightly different subject, but Dr. Freeman became an inventor and robotics person because he enjoyed building things and making lives easier. Even if it has made him somewhat reliable on us his creations, he still does exactly what he loves to do every day."

The red-head smiled. "You know, everyone keeps telling me that—that I should do something I love to do. Problem is I can't seem to find a way to narrow it down to just one thing."

"Then don't," he answered. "Do more than one thing. You've mentioned being a teacher and being a writer, so why not combine them? If I understand correctly, you wish to still do missions on the side, so I would recommend becoming a teacher of some sort where you have a flexible schedule and then doing the writing in your free time. That way, you have the money issue covered, can do something you love, and can still participate in the extracurricular that gives you a thrill and a rush when you do it."

Kim put her hand to her chin. "But don't teachers have to be on a pretty set schedule?"

There was no answer for a second, as apparently SAI-AT needed to ponder that for a moment. "Hmmm…perhaps 'teacher' was a poor choice of wording. Maybe…'instructor' would be a better phrase. My thinking, and this is only speculation on my part based on the data I have in my possession, was that you could become some sort of combat instructor and pass on your fighting skills and expertise to those eager to learn from them. According to SADI, you are quite capable in a fight, and you yourself stated that you like it when you are able to pass on your knowledge of certain things to others. What better knowledge to pass on than the skills for how to defend one's self in a dangerous situation?"

"So then what would I major in?"

"Miss Possible, I can only give you my assessment based on what you or others have told me, and what I may glean from media which has covered you over the years that I either hold in my databanks or may access through the internet. However, in my opinion, what you should probably do is to go for a major that allows you to pursue your writing hobby. Then I would suggest going in as a paid combat instructor for Global Justice, who I'm sure would be glad to have your special skills at their disposal. However, in order to maintain your independent status on your missions, I would recommend that you not sign on as a field agent with them. Instead, work with them occasionally as a freelancer like you do now, but market yourself and Team Possible as a separate entity, much like Team Impossible did prior to their encounter with you. This would allow you to still pick and choose the missions you wish to undertake, as well as giving you the flexible schedule you wish to maintain. However, as I stated, this is only my opinion and speculations based on the information I have at my disposal."

Kim thought about it for a moment, before her grin began to increase in size. "You know, if for some reason something happens to make Dr. Freeman take you out of this plane, you'd make a great therapist or counselor."

SAI-AT appeared somewhat pleased with the compliment. "Thank you, Miss Possible. Though I do hope Dr. Freeman never has a need to take me apart. I find I rather like being able to soar above the clouds and make my own movement decisions if I choose to. Speaking of which, we will be arriving at our destination in approximately four hours. Shall I go ahead and wake Mr. Stoppable for you?"

Kim shook her head. "No, let him sleep a bit longer. Something tells me this mission is going to be a big one, and that means that we're going to need all the rest we can manage to get."

* * *

_a/n_

_I should note that any facts SAI-AT relates are pure speculation on my part based on what I was told by my own guidance counselors in high school and college. So please don't comment on those specifics._

_Other than that, comments and reviews are always welcome. :)_

_And if you would, I have a new poll up on my author page that I'd like some input on. Not saying that I'm going to follow what the results are, but I am curious what people think on the subject. :)_


	27. Chapter 27

A/N

Chapter 27 is up and running!

This chapter is another one of those that I had finished a few days ago, but again I wanted to wait until the first of the month to publish it so I could more accurately track the hits it picks up. Plus, there were a few problems, but those have been worked out and it's ready to go. So on with the story:

Kim and Ron arrive in Venice and meet up with an old friend who has some information they weren't aware of, including a few tidbits that makes their mission just a little tougher.

Then the two of them have a bit of discussion, revealing a little bit of how each sees the world.

Sheila faces the task of picking out her dress, and also faces a meeting she's not looking forward to.

Kim and Ron catch a break in their search, but before they can act on it they have to deal with a "forced" meeting.

Wade faces a bit of a moral dilemma, and he's not sure how to proceed.

An important ally reflects a bit on the current situation Team Possible is facing.

Finally, Kim and Ron manage to find a way to contact the people they need to, but others are wanting the information as well.

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

*****SPECIAL NOTE:** Since they are in Venice, Italy, I've mixed quite a bit of Italian phrases into the locals in this chapter. For translation, I used the "Babylon" translator you can find online. Apologies if it makes it difficult to read, but I wanted to put a bit of a personal spin on this, and the adding of certain Italian phrases helped me do that. I also put all of it in italics, so if something doesn't sound like a thought, it probably is because it's a different language. :)

* * *

SAI-AT appeared somewhat pleased with the compliment. "Thank you, Miss Possible. Though I do hope Dr. Freeman never has a need to take me apart. I find I rather like being able to soar above the clouds and make my own movement decisions if I choose to. Speaking of which, we will be arriving at our destination in approximately four hours. Shall I go ahead and wake Mr. Stoppable for you?"

Kim shook her head. "No, let him sleep a bit longer. Something tells me this mission is going to be a big one, and that means that we're going to need all the rest we can manage to get."

Right on schedule four hours later, the canal city of Venice, Italy came into view through SAI-AT's front vista view window. While Kim roused Ron, SAI-AT began looking for a convenient place to land. However, after thirty minutes he still hadn't found a suitable spot.

"Miss Possible, it seems we may have to do this a different way than originally planned. I can find no safe area to land that will keep me safe from those who would wish us harm."

Kim nodded. "It's okay, SAI. We have a few friends and contacts at Venice Marco Polo Airport. I'll just have Wade make a few calls."

With that she contacted the tech genius on her wrist Kimmunicator. A few minutes later, he called back with a smile on his face.

"Okay, I've got you guys set up with Emilio Capellini. He says you can store SAI-AT at his hangar on the east side of the airport completely rent free. However there are one or two conditions to his allowing you to do that."

Ron frowned. "Aww, man. What does he want?"

Wade laughed. "Something you'll probably like Ron. He said the conditions are that the two of you have to join him and his wife Alessandria in enjoying some of her homemade lasagna, and that both of you have to let them take you on a tour of the city."

The blonde's frown immediately flipped right side up as his mouth began to noticeably water. "We get to have some of Alessandria's famous eight-cheese and shrimp lasagna? Boo Yeah!"

"Yum! Eight cheese!" chirped Rufus as he popped out from the young man's pocket with a huge smile on his face.

Kim laughed. "Tell him we'd agree even if we didn't need a place to stay."

Wade nodded, and cut the connection.

SAI-AT chuckled a bit. "I take it this Alessandria makes good human food?"

Kim grinned. "Probably one of the few people who can make a better lasagna than Ron."

"Hey…" the young man started to protest, but then he paused. "Ahhh, who am I kidding? I already know it's probably the truth."

Another thirty minutes later, SAI-AT had landed and Kim and Ron had stored him in Emilio's private hangar. As they were leaving, SAI-AT dispensed what looked like a car remote from a compartment near the exit hatch.

"Simply press that red button," the artificial intelligence instructed with a smile to his voice, "and I'll use my VTOL jets to come to your location and pull you out of whatever…sitch I believe is what you call it…that you may find yourselves needing extraction from. And the black button will allow you to access me each time you return. Make sure to keep it with you, as it will allow whoever has it to access me without any sort of bio-scan."

Kim frowned. "Umm, SAI? Do you think you could set to do a bio-scan anyway? Just to be safe."

There was a long pause before SAI-AT replied.

"I could, Miss Possible. But my design if I were to do so would require me to perform the scan even if you are in need of an immediate extraction, which could seriously impact the time needed for said emergency escape."

Kim nodded. "Understandable. Okay, we'll keep the remote with us."

A short while later, she and Ron found themselves knocking on the door to the Capellini's house. A man who had always comically reminded Ron (and sometimes Kim) of the two brother plumbers from that classic video game, right down to his dark, curly hair and mustache, answered the door with a hearty smile.

"_S__ignorina_ Possible, _Signore_ Stoppable. _Buona_ _sera_!" he greeted them as he extended his large hand.

"How's it hanging, Emilio?" Ron said with a grin and a shake of the man's hand.

Kim smiled, also accepting the gesture of friendship. "Hey, Emilio. Thanks for letting us store our transport at your hangar."

"_N__on c'è problema_," he replied in a thick Italian accent. "It is least I could do after you helped me land in that storm."

Kim let loose a wide grin. "No big. It was just a simple matter of grappling to the underside of your plane and extracting the stuck landing gear while sitting perched on the other one as you circled the airfield."

"Is that Kim and Ron?" called a woman's voice that was also thick with Italian accent.

"_Sì, il mio amore_," Emilio called back into the house. "They stopped by for a few."

"Well, invite them in, _lei silly oca_," Alessandria replied with a laugh as she came into the foyer of the house. Compared to her husband, who was somewhat portly, the late-30's woman who was actually the same-type build as Kim looked like a toothpick.

Kim shook her head. "I wish we could, Alessandria, but we're here to locate a couple of people and only have about a week to do it."

The raven-haired Italian woman smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "_Nonsenso_. You must stay for a bit. I know you must be tired from your long flight."

Ron looked at his love with a shrug. "It was kind of a long flight, KP. And we do need some sort of plan before we plunge into this. Especially if those Risottos are involved in this."

"Risattis," Kim corrected with a smile.

However, her smile disappeared when both Emilio and Alessandria lost their own perpetual grins.

"Don't say that name!" Emilio hissed worriedly. "And come inside! _Presto_! _Presto_!"

He didn't wait for them to comply on their own, instead basically sweeping them in with his beefy arm before quickly shutting the door and locking it hastily. Kim and Ron stood there slightly dumbfounded.

"What's the sitch, Emilio?" Kim said when he turned towards them. "Aren't they just another mob family?"

Alessandria shook her head and frowned. "I'm afraid not, Kim. The Risatti crime organization has been making a rather influential bid for power here, helped along by the fact that they have one of the actual family involved in the high ranks of the police force. Everyone knows he is corrupt and _cattive_ _notizie_, but no one will say anything for fear of retaliation. Even the mayor will not do anything, as he himself is afraid of them."

Ron shook his head. "Wait…the bad guys are on the inside with the good guys? And no one is saying anything?"

Emilio frowned. "It is worse than that, _il mio caro amico_. Giovanni Risatti has somehow managed to get high enough in our police that he is able to get his uncle's thugs and enforcers released minutes after they are arrested. And the fact that much of the police force is…how you say…_on the take_ from the Risattis only serves to make matters worse. Right now, Venice is like uncracked rotten egg—beautiful on the outside, but disgusting and _guasto_ beneath the surface."

Kim smiled sympathetically. "Emilio, we didn't know. Is there anything we can do?"

His wife shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately there is not, Kim. This _triste_ _problema_ was caused by the people of this city, and only when we do something about it will the sickness that infects our town be healed."

Emilio half-smiled. "Now, who is it you two have come to find? Perhaps we may help."

Kim grinned appreciatively and pulled up a photo of their objective on her Kimmunicator. "We're looking for these two people. Their real names are Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey, but they may be using aliases because they faked their deaths in the United States before they came here."

The Italian couple studied the picture for a minute, but both shook their heads disappointedly.

"I am sorry, _Signorina_ Possible, but we do not know these two," Emilio replied dejectedly. "I wish we could be of more assistance."

Ron grinned. "Hey, it's okay, man. We'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Kim nodded and smiled. "He's right. After all, it'll give us a chance to take some romantic walks along the canals."

Alessandria grinned. "D_'accordo_. We had forgotten you two _l'amore uccelli_ were engaged now."

Ron scratched his head. "Okay, I know my Italian's not as good as Kim's, but why are you calling us 'love cellos'?"

Kim couldn't resist a girlish giggle. "Ron, '_uccelli_' means 'birds'. She called us 'love birds'."

"Ohhh," the young man replied while the three others laughed.

"Even though I know you will be," Emilio said when he had calmed down a bit, "I still warn you to watch yourselves. If the people you are searching for are in any way involved with the Risattis, it could be trouble even if that is not what you seek."

Kim nodded. "We will be. And we'll be glad to take you up on the offer of dinner. Does Monday evening work for you?"

Alessandria smiled as she clapped her hands together. "It will be our pleasure, Kim."

With the idea of a nice hot meal to entice them to return, Kim and Ron set out into the city to look for the Godfreys. However, it was readily apparent within the first hour that this search would be no cakewalk.

"Wade, send us that picture you managed to get of them again," Kim said after another few hours of fruitless walking and searching.

"Sure thing, Kim," the tech genius replied as he sent the feed to their Kimmunicators.

"Not really much to go on, KP," Ron commented as he looked at the freeze frame. "I mean, all of it looks pretty much the same."

Kim sighed. "Tell me something I don't know. Wade, is there any way you can pinpoint exactly where they were when you caught this?"

Wade typed quickly for a few seconds. "All I can give you is the general area, unfortunately. They were in Campo San Barnaba, near the Church of San Barnaba. Beyond that, I couldn't really tell you."

"That sounds familiar for some reason," Ron said with a scratch of his head. "Wait…isn't that where Hank Jones's grandfather claimed he supposedly found one of the clues to the Holy Grail?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Ron, all that man has is stories and notes. He doesn't have a single shred of proof that any of the stuff he claims to have found is really what he says it is or was. Now get serious here."

Ron shrugged. "Hey, all we've got for a few of our missions is our word that it's what actually happened. I'm just saying maybe the world should cut the guy a little slack. I mean, it's just as likely that he's telling the truth about what he's done over the years."

Kim sighed. "Please, Ron. Okay, I'll give Dr. Jones that _maybe_ the U.S. government actually has the real Ark of the Covenant locked up in some warehouse, and that's it's theoretically possible there's a village in India that has one of the lost Shankara stones. But the Grail story and that one about aliens I absolutely refuse to buy. Besides, he claims to be an archaeologist and a teacher of the subject, which means he studies a field based on facts. How can he claim that a few legends are true when that's what he does for a living?"

Ron grinned and raised his eyebrow at her. "Even after meeting aliens of our own? And considering all the artifacts and legends we've dealt with when it comes to the Mystical Monkey Power?"

Kim shook her head in frustration. "Ron, everyone knows the Lorwardians exist. And we've actually seen what your Mystical Monkey Power can do, as well as having handed several of the artifacts that were connected to it over to the authorities. But all Dr. Jones has is a bunch of stories. If he had any proof, I'd buy it, but he's got nothing."

Ron couldn't resist a small laugh. "Never would have pegged you for a skeptic, KP."

"I'm not a skeptic, Ron," she countered. "I'm a realist. Show me some real proof, and I'll believe it."

"Well, speaking of realist," the young man quipped, "I'm getting _really_ hungry. How about we go grab a bite to eat and then head over to that Camp Sand Barn Abbot place?"

"Campo San Barnaba," Kim corrected while she nodded her agreement, her own stomach starting to protest that she herself hadn't eaten anything more than her light snack of grapes a few hours earlier. "And it sounds like a plan, I guess. Where do you think we should go?"

They ended up at a small café along the Grand Canal. As they ate, they went over a plan of searching the city for Sheila's parents using a map they'd set out on the table between them and their Kimmunicators to plan out each day's search. They were so engrossed in their study of the map they were looking at, however, that they didn't realize that they were being followed and observed as well by a pair of well-dressed men, one bald and one with a noticeable scar on his cheek…

* * *

Sheila shook her head in frustration as she tried on yet another wedding gown that refused to fit or look flattering on her. Even though she'd gone to a maternity gown store, nothing seemed able to fit her 5'10" frame and still not make her look like what she was—a woman pregnant with twins who were due in just under two months. And the shopkeeper was no help at all, as she just kept bringing Sheila dresses in the same size and length as the last twenty-six she'd tried on.

"Maybe you should just go with one of your dresses back at the tower, Sis," Hego commented from the side.

Without any women she was really close to, Sheila had elected to bring her older brother along as a second opinion. She actually got along with the Wegos better, but she'd figured this type of thing wasn't the sort of activity they'd be interested in or be able to focus on. Plus, it meant she also got to hear the opinions of his longtime girlfriend, Clarice Dubois.

"Hector," the short, petite blonde chided, "you don't just wear any old thing you own to your wedding. It has to be something special."

Sheila frowned. "Not to mention that everything I've got that fits right now isn't really suitable for a wedding ceremony. Plus, tell me another time I'm going to get to wear a white dress like this."

Clarice clucked her tongue. "I hate to say it, honey, but I think you need to go with something else besides white. And I'm not just talking about the whole purity thing. I don't mean to offend, but you in white makes you look like a sickened corpse bride or something."

Sheila blew a frustrated breath out her nose. "I guess you're right. Still, I wish I could find something…"

Her voice trailed off as it fell on a light sea foam green gown hanging on a rack near the back of the store.

"Hey, what about that green one?" she asked the shopkeeper.

"Oh dearie, you don't want that old thing," the old woman said with obviously patronizing smile. "It's cut rather oddly, and I've yet to meet the girl whose figure it comes close to flattering."

Sheila forced herself to remain cordial as possible with the woman she was quickly beginning to regard as an old bat more concerned with customer money than customer service. However, some of her temper managed to slip out in the form of her now lightly glowing hands and her snarkiness.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, Grandma, I'm not exactly a normal girl. And it might work for me. So how about you decide to be just a little bit helpful for a change and let me take a look at it before knocking it out of the running?"

The gray-haired woman gulped slightly and quickly nodded, practically running to retrieve the dress while Sheila and Clarice headed once more back to the changing rooms. As her brother's girlfriend helped her into the light green affair, Sheila couldn't help but notice how it seemed almost tailor-made for her. True, it was a little loose in the middle, but that would soon be taken care of by her continually expanding pregnant belly. What really drew her attention, however, was the off-the-shoulder neckline—it wasn't low-cut, but it definitely flattered her in a way that none of the other dresses she'd tried on had been able to do. As she stood back from the mirror in the changing room, she could practically picture Andy standing there next to her and smiling proudly.

At that moment, there was a loud clanging of the front door of the shop, and a very familiar voice made Sheila cringe.

"Well, where is my Drewbie's fiancée? I want to see what we're dealing with here."

_So he finally told his mother_, Sheila thought wryly.

Andy had finally gotten up the nerve to call his mother and invite her to Go City a few days earlier, and she had evidently just arrived. And apparently, Andy had told her about the pregnancy and the rushed wedding as soon as her plane landed instead of waiting for Sheila so they could tell her together like they'd originally planned to do. Either that, or the woman had somehow figured out one aspect or the other and Andy had caved and told her the other one.

Sheila took a deep breath, pulled her hair back behind her shoulders as soon as Clarice had clasped her up, and put on a smile before walking out to face the diminutive woman who had never been able to accept that her own son was one of the world's most wanted super-villains. However, it wasn't the short woman in a polka-dot dress that caused Sheila to cringe further. No, that honor went to the person who had evidently accompanied her on this trip…

"Shego, babe, you're looking a lot hotter than the last time I saw you. Seriously."

Sheila rolled her eyes as her fiancé's cousin eyed her up and down like some car magazine model like he'd done every time he'd ever met her. "It's Sheila now, Eddy. The only way I'll ever be Shego again is if I decide to rejoin my brothers on Team Go. And if you don't mind please stop staring at me like that. I am engaged to Andy now, you know."

"Aww, babe, why you gotta be harshing my mellow like that? Seriously," Motor Ed replied with a frown.

"For the same reason you always gawk at me and have to use the word 'Seriously' after everything you say."

"C'mon, Shego, that's rude. Seriously."

Mrs. Lipsky had remained quiet this entire time, eyeing the mint-skinned woman with something that wasn't quite a frown but definitely not a smile.

"So, my Drewbie wasn't lying when he said that you two did this out of order. Well, at least you're getting married, though I do wish Drewbie had found a girl he could get married to because he loves her and not because he has to."

Sheila sighed and looked away, thankful for Mama Lipsky's sake that she wasn't still a villainess, as she probably would have blasted her fiancé's mother right then and there if she had been. With a somewhat good deal of effort, she reined in her temper and turned back to face the other woman.

"And who says we don't love each other?" she retorted forcefully. "Because I'll tell you right now if I had to I would raise these kids on my own. Your son knows I wouldn't want him to hang around because he feels he has to, and he only proposed because he does love me and because he knows I love him."

"And how can you be sure of that?" Mama Lipsky retorted, apparently not intimidated at all by the woman she now knew to once be known as the most formidable villainess on the planet.

Sheila opened her mouth to reply, but was suddenly struck by the thought that she didn't really know herself how she knew that what she and Andy had was really love. Sure, they liked being with each other, and enjoyed spending time together, but really if she thought about it their whole relationship had basically developed because of their close proximity in the recent years. Really, other than that masseuse (Midas, was it?), she hadn't really looked at any options other than her blue-skinned boyfriend. And as far as Sheila was aware, she was the only girl the man had ever even been able to get to go out with him. Hadn't he even developed the Bebe robots simply because he couldn't find a girl who was willing to date him in college? That had turned out disastrous when the female robots decided they didn't need to take orders from him any more, but it was still a situation that brought to light just how limited Andy's search had been.

As the mint-skinned woman thought it over, she was surprised that Mama Lipsky started to smile. Evidently, Sheila picked up a very confused look when she saw the other woman's grin, as Andy's mother grinned even wider before she finally spoke.

"Well, honey, I think we can safely assume you love him."

"What are you talking about?" Sheila replied with a bit of snarkiness. "Of course I love him!"

Mama Lipsky nodded. "Yes, but you can't explain it, can you dear?"

When Sheila remained silent, she continued.

"You know you love him in your heart, but your head can't wrap around why, right? To me, that's when you know you're with the right person. To be honest, I wondered if this was what was going on those times I visited you and Drewbie. He kept calling you his assistant, but never anything else. I always wondered if he was referring to you like that to stop himself from calling you something else. And from the look on your face right now, I think he wasn't the only one who kept things hidden. Let me tell you a secret: I was the same way when I got asked that question by Drewbie's grandmother."

Sheila smiled, but then she thought of something. "Mrs. Lipsky, I don't think I've ever heard what your name is. Unless you'd prefer me to always call you 'Mama Lipsky' every time I see you."

The short woman nodded. "Well, that would be fine with me. But if you really want to know, my name is Estelle."

Sheila smiled. "Well, Estelle, since you're hear, mind giving us a hand? I'm trying to pick out my dress."

Estelle grinned but shook her head. "I would, dear, but it seems you've already found it."

Sheila looked down, and noticed that she was still wearing the sea foam green dress she'd been trying on before the woman appeared. She then looked up at the mirrors, and couldn't help but smile. She turned towards the other three.

"What do you think?"

Clarice and Estelle both smiled and nodded, while Motor Ed stayed wisely silent. Hego, on the other hand, walked up to her and hugged her.

"I think you're future mother-in-law is right, Sis. That dress really suits you."

Sheila smiled. _Yeah, it really does. Now I just have to figure out what color the bridesmaids' dresses will be. Speaking of which, I wonder what Kimmie's answer is going to be…_

_

* * *

_

Friday revealed absolutely nothing during Kim and Ron's search of Venice, and Saturday wasn't looking too good either. But then, as they ate dinner, Kim had to do a double-take when she noticed the couple walking by on the other side of the canal from the café where she and Ron were eating.

"Ron, I think that's them," she said slightly excitedly.

The young man turned and looked where she was pointing, and had to squint a little. "Could be. I mean, the woman does look an awful lot like Sheila, and the guy looks a lot like Hego. But I thought Wade said they were normally in disguise. Those two look like they're just out for a night on the town."

Kim shook her head. "Ron, one of the best places to hide is right out in the open, because it's the last place people expect to find someone who doesn't want to be found. Besides, I'm sure they probably change up their disguises every now and then."

Kim started to get up when a pair of well-dressed men sat down at the table with them. One of them placed a hand on her shoulder and pressed her back down into her seat.

"Uhh, excuse me?" Kim remarked rather offended. "What do you think you're doing?"

That's when she felt the cold metal placed against her side as the bald one leaned towards her a bit. And from the look on Ron's face, their other uninvited guest had done the same thing to him, the sinister nature of his smile enhanced by the scar on his cheek.

"Miss Possible," Baldy said with a smug smile in a slimy Italian accent. "You and I both know exactly what I have pressed against your side, and that if I so wished it I could give you a lot more room to put the meal you've been eating. And I assure you that I am much faster on the trigger than any of your kung fu moves. And I am willing to be that my associate is thinking the same thing about your companion. I also feel the need to inform you that what the two of you feel is the silencers on the ends of these objects. While we would love to eliminate you so that our organization never has to deal with you or any future problems your interference may cause us, our boss wishes a word with you. Now, you have two choices…"

Kim's smile told him she wasn't fooled. "One where we live and one where don't, right?"

"Correct," Scarface replied. "If you comply, we can assure you will see the sunrise tomorrow. If not, the two of us will leave this table, but the two of you will not. And just so you are aware, attempting to disable us will result in others finishing the job of taking you out for us."

"What others?" remarked Ron. "There aren't any other guys dressed in suits here."

Kim's eyes did a quick scan, and she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the two customers sitting at the next table, a young couple who looked to be in their mid-twenties. There was a blonde woman and a brown-haired man, and both were dressed like they were tourists. Both were also pointing silenced weapons at them. "Ron, they're not lying."

"Smart girl," Baldy replied.

"So then what's your plan?" the red-head said matter-of-factly. "It's pretty obvious we're not going to meet your boss while sitting here in the open."

"Correct," the thug answered. "Look to your left. You will see a water taxi ready and waiting, the operator of which is also one of our associates. The two of you are to climb in, and wait. Then we will join you, and you will be taken to the meeting place. I give you one warning: any attempts to make a move to disrupt this plan, and at least one of you will not see tomorrow. Are we clear?"

"Yeah, we're clear," Ron remarked through gritted teeth. "You'd just better hope that she's not the one…"

"Ron," Kim interrupted none too gently. "We need to do what they want for now."

The blonde frowned but nodded. At the moment, there really wasn't much they could do in protest, so they had no choice but to comply. A few minutes after they climbed in to the boat, the two men also climbed in, nodding to the craft's operator before grabbing seats opposite the pair. Now that they weren't in such a public view, the guns were clearly visible to Team Possible, one trained on each of them. Kim was about to ask why they weren't moving when she noticed the couple from the next table get in behind them. Now she and Ron each had two guns apiece aimed at them, and now the boat began to move.

As they traveled, Kim glanced around at the people walking along the sides of the canals. Some were obviously on dates, others carried shopping bags, and others simply appeared to be enjoying the moonlight. But it was pretty obvious that none of them were aware that the teen heroes were currently being held in the boat at gunpoint. She reached over to take Ron's hand, and was pleased to find that he laced his fingers with hers comfortingly. She also noticed that one of his fingers started randomly tapping on hers. After a moment, however, she realized it wasn't random—it was code!

_Any ideas, KP?_ Ron tapped quickly.

_Risattis,_ she coded back. _Think we need to see where this goes. Only respond if they try to split us up._

_But what about the guns? Not really sure how we can get out of this if we have to._

_Me either, Ron. But right now, we need to do what they say. Better to comply for now and live than to fight now and take a chance we don't._

_Understand that, but I swear, KP…if they hurt you…_

_No, Ron, don't talk like that. We will get out of this._

After a few more minutes, the boat came to a stop. Baldy motioned for them to get out while he and Scarface pulled their weapons back into their sleeves so they wouldn't be seen. Kim and Ron nodded, and stepped out on to the sidewalk next to a large, elaborate building. Baldy pushed roughly past them, and knocked a few times in a rhythmic pattern. A slot in the door opened, and a rough voice called out.

"_P__arola di accesso_."

"_Lasciate che il denaro parlare_" Baldy replied.

Ron glanced at Kim, a look of slight confusion on his face.

"Password," she mouthed, and he nodded his comprehension.

The door slowly opened, and they were led into a large foyer, down a hallway, and into a sitting room. There, in a prominent chair behind a rather large desk, sat a man with beady brown eyes and neatly slicked dark grey hair. He was dressed in a sharp grey pinstripe suit, complete with diamond studded buttons and cufflinks, a red flower in his buttonhole, and a black bowtie. He wasn't large or small, but somewhere in-between, and there was a definite chiseling to his face. Kim immediately got the impression that this wasn't the type of man who would out-power you, but would have no trouble out-thinking you. And since she'd seen this face numerous times in the news, she knew exactly who he was.

"Carmine Risatti," she said with a forced smile.

"Yes, I am Don Carmine Risatti." His voice, unlike his associates, carried very little trace of his Italian heritage, as if it had been worn away by years of travel while performing his various shady deeds and under-the-table deals. "And you are _Signorina_ Possible, if I am not mistaken. I wondered when we would meet and what it would be like when it happened. And I must say the experience is a pleasure."

"Well, the feeling isn't mutual, buddy," Ron replied with a frown.

Carmine picked up a glass filled with some sort of amber liquid as he stood and began to come around the desk. "And of course, _Signore_ Stoppable, the supposed 'savior of the planet'. I am indeed fortunate tonight. Though I do wonder why the two of you came to see me so willingly."

"If you call having a gun pressed against our sides 'willingly', then sure we came that way," Kim spat. "Now why don't you just quit stalling and tell us what this is about and why you brought us here."

The aged gangster let out a charismatic smile as he took a drink from his glass. "Straight to the point. I like that. Very well, then. I know that the two of you came here to my city a few days ago, because nothing happens in Venice (or Italy for that matter) without my knowing about it. However, what I do not know is _why_ you came here. And this is the reason for this meeting. You see, I am well aware of your reputations as 'world heroes', and that normally you only leave the United States on some sort of mission. Thus, I know you came here on one of these missions. And if you are wondering, it pays for a man in my position to keep tabs on those who might interfere in my affairs. As such, I also have my suspicions as to what the details of that mission are, but I felt I should extend a professional courtesy to you. I also feel it…_necessary_ to warn you that should any of your business here involve me or my activities, you are gambling with your lives by doing so. Unlike the fools you have faced before, I have no qualms about eliminating you by _efficient_ and speedy methods if you should cross me."

Kim actually laughed. "And you think that makes you different from other villains? Please. We've faced the possibility of dying hundreds of times. You're no different than they are. The only difference is that you choose to follow the more organized aspect of criminal activity over the 'take over the world' path. And by the way, scare tactics like this don't work on us."

Ron nodded. "Seriously, dude, you can't even be classified as a super-villain. All you are is a glorified henchman."

Carmine smiled, but both could see the glass straining under his grip even as he swirled the liquid inside. "Very well. It seems the two of you are more strong-willed than I anticipated, but this changes nothing about the situation. I will tell you now: I know you seek the Godfreys. Why you seek them, I do not yet know, but you will find it difficult to remove them from this city. Dr. Sheridan Godfrey still owes me what she promised, and I will not stop until I obtain it."

Kim blinked. "Wait. What exactly does she owe you?"

The mob boss smiled. "Well, it seems I gave you a bit too much credit, then. As far as what business the good doctor and I have, that is between me and her. And as such, I see no need to tell you. And before you have your little computer nerd try to find it, there have been no records of this transaction written down anywhere, which means that any trace of it will not be found on the computer where he could access it. Now, I will say good day, and you will exit."

Within two minutes, Kim and Ron found themselves shoved so roughly out the front door that they nearly fell in the canal. In fact, Ron had to grab for Rufus to keep the little guy from tumbling out of his pocket and into the water.

"Man, that guy is…" Ron began as he gently put the mole rat back in his pocket.

"Five hundred miles of bad road," Kim finished. "I know."

"Bully," added Rufus with an angry shake of his fist at the large door that had been shut behind them.

Ron smiled. "Actually, I was simply going to say 'bad news', but I think those work as well."

Kim stared up at the building. "Ron, I don't like this sitch. There's something ferociously weird going on behind the scenes here, and we're basically flying blind and completely on radar."

Ron nodded. "Are you starting to think we shouldn't have taken this one?"

Kim shook her head. "No, but I am starting to think we weren't given all the details."

The blonde shrugged. "Yeah, but who else can we ask? Sheila and Hego told us all they knew."

Kim frowned as they started to walk down the sidewalk towards a bridge that would take them back to the main part of the city. "That's just it, Ron. I think I believe that Sheila told us everything she knows, but something tells me Hego knows more than he's let on."

Ron put his arm around her shoulders. "Well, maybe we could have Wade do a little digging. See if he comes up with anything?"

Kim sighed. "As much as I hate it, I'm not sure we have much choice."

Ron grinned sadly. "You know, I'm starting to miss the good ol' days."

"Good ol' days?" Kim replied with a raised eyebrow.

"When we knew which of our friends we could trust to keep us in the loop. I mean, first it was Betty, now it's Hego. What's next—Wade conducting secret experiments and investigations on the side?"

Kim laughed mainly because she didn't know what else to do. "Wouldn't surprise me if he already does. I mean, he only sleeps, what, five hours a night? Gives him plenty of time to do other things outside of the missions."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Kim and Ron, Wade was indeed already in the process of digging for more files on Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey. And strangely enough, it was almost as if Heathcliff didn't exist. There were numerous papers Dr. Sheridan Godfrey had published over the years, and there was a clear trail of where she'd been and what she'd done prior to their "supposed" deaths. But her husband almost seemed to have materialized out of thin air a mere two years before the birth of their first child Hector a.k.a. Hego. It was like his research into Vivian Porter's companion Oliver all over again. To be completely honest, that bothered Wade more than why the two of them had faked their deaths. Oliver had turned out to be a very life-like robot, but they knew Sheila's father to be a real flesh and blood person, which meant Wade should have been able to dig something up. Everyone had a past, and only a past that belonged to someone who was trying to hide it was this difficult to track.

Then there was the strange message he'd gotten from this "C.A.M." character. As far as Wade and the rest of Team Possible were aware, Sheila's parents had absolutely no connections whatsoever to Global Justice. And yet this mysterious hacker had seemed completely confident that there was in fact a hidden thread connecting the Godfreys to the worldwide spy organization. But if that were the case, why had it never come up in any of the encounters Team Possible had had with Team Go or meetings with Global Justice? It was a puzzle Wade was determined to crack.

And so he'd started doing a little double digging, going after information on Team Go and information on Global Justice and looking for a common thread. But so far he'd found absolute zilch in the files outside of the protective firewalls both parties had set up. It would be easy to crack through the barriers, but Wade hadn't yet because he felt wrong about hacking friends without a valid suspicion. And a supposed hunch just wasn't a good enough reason to do something like this.

However, when Kim and Ron called him and asked for the research into what Hego really knew, he saw his chance.

"Look, Kim, I can do that with no problem. But to be honest, I share Ron's view on this. I hate having to hack people we're supposed to be friends with."

Kim nodded at him from the computer screen. "I know, Wade, but we really don't have any choice. Right now, we're playing this game with a half-deck, and if we keep going like this we could up in some major trouble over here. Something in my gut tells me that Hego knows something crucial, and I'd feel a lot better if we knew what that was. Trust me, I wouldn't ask this if I wasn't sure it was absolutely necessary."

Wade sighed and nodded. "Hey, while we're on this, would you be okay with me doing the same thing with Global Justice? Something tells me they might know more about this whole mess than they're letting on as well."

The young woman frowned. "I don't like it, Wade, but to be honest there's a lot of things I don't like about this. Okay, do it, but only pull out what is pertinent to this mission. Even if you find something else they haven't told us about. Something tells me there's a reason Betty hasn't given us all the facts about everything we've been dealing with."

And thus Wade had set to work. The firewalls Team Go had set up weren't that hard to break through without tipping anybody off, but the information Wade found there seemed somehow incomplete. That is, it did until he found similar files in the Global Justice mainframe, ones that provided _all_ of the missing pieces for the files he accessed on Team Go. And all of them pointed to some things he'd thought weren't yet entirely possible.

"No way," he said, slightly unable to breathe. "They wouldn't…"

* * *

Betty frowned as she looked over the data she'd just received. Ever since she'd first teamed Kim up with Will Du, she'd had an entire department dedicated to the following of Team Possible's exploits. Said department had been scaled back significantly after the research into the "Ron Factor" had proved a bust, but she still kept several people on it. And that department had most recently reported that the three main members of the team had gone to Venice on an extended mission. And unfortunately, the head of Global Justice had a pretty good idea what Kim, Ron, and Rufus were after. If Betty's suspicions were correct, the two young people were searching for the missing Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey.

Although they'd tried to with the apparent car wreck and explosion in '94, the Godfreys had been unable to avoid detection by Global Justice. Betty knew that part of that had to do with the leadership of Global Justice at that time, but the main reason had more to do with the project Dr. Sheridan Godfrey had been working on. Although the Dr. Godfrey hadn't been working for the worldwide spy organization, as the Assistant Director Betty had been high enough up at that time that she was privy to what had been going on. Betty was also aware that Global Justice hadn't been the only group interested in the woman's research, particularly after the freak occurrence/accident that gave the Godfrey children their powers. After that fateful night, demand for the good doctor's research and findings had skyrocketed, particularly with the world's criminal element.

It was also the reason Betty had been so quick to okay getting Sheila Godfrey in particular off of the criminal watch list, as she knew it was a very good possibility that the next generation might inherit certain things that made the Godfrey children special. And it was a lot easier to keep tabs on people on the right side of the law than people on the wrong side. Betty had been even more relieved when she found out that Sheila and her boyfriend Andy Lipsky would be staying in Go City with the rest of the Godfrey siblings, as it meant an even greater chance of preventing something bad coming out of the birth of Sheila's twins. She only hoped that she was wrong, or that Sheridan Godfrey's research had been flawed. If not, things could spiral out of control very quickly.

As she pondered this, a computer tech by the name of Stracynski came rushing in. "Dr. Director, we have confirmation that Wade Load had entered our systems and is accessing information. Particularly about the Godfrey family."

Dr. Director couldn't help but smile a little. "Does he know that we are aware of his hack?"

The tech shook his head. "No, Ma'am, we don't think he does. He's being much too cautious about his electronic footprints."

The Global Justice head nodded. "Very well. Continue to monitor him, but do not hinder or help him in any way. If we're lucky, Team Possible may end up helping us with that particular problem."

"And if he accesses other files, Dr. Director?"

Betty thought for a moment. "Put up triple firewalls and virus traps around all things concerning G.V.U. and our research on the Level Five files. If he accesses anything else, let him look around like normal. And make sure you put our most recent research under a Level Five restriction. The less Team Possible knows about that particular project at this point in time, the better."

"But, Dr. Director, our most recent research on that matter shows…"

"You have your orders, Stracynski. I suggest you follow them without further argument."

"Yes, Ma'am," the tech replied as he exited the room.

Dr. Director turned her chair towards the window behind her desk, and pulled down the slats, eyeing the world map on the large view screen. Three of Team Possible's five red locator stars were currently stationed in Venice, one was in Montana, and the fifth was in Middleton, CO. But what really drew her eye were the four green stars in the northeastern most point of the contiguous United States. Currently, they all sat idle, but the Global Justice leader knew that wouldn't last…particularly if the villain activity was about to start picking back up like she expected it to. And while Betty knew it might be a good idea to inform Team Possible about the people those stars were responsible for, right now the research was still inconclusive despite everything Global Justice had invested in it.

_Yes, the less Kim and Ron know about that situation the better_, she thought with a pondering frown. _Still, I don't like keeping it from them…_

* * *

A short time after they were shoved out of what they believed to be Carmine Risatti's personal estate, Kim and Ron finally made it back to where they'd been when the thugs "abducted" them. Kim was convinced it had been Sheila's parents she'd seen across the canal, and was determined to find out where they'd gone. After putting in the call to Wade, she and Ron began traversing up and down that side of the canal, going down every alley and stairway they could find, and talking to as many people as they could. Kim was having a slightly easier time since she understood a bit more Italian, but Ron was no slouch. After several tries, they finally caught a break.

"_Sì, li ho visti_," a woman in a produce stall replied in an accent so thick it could have stopped a bullet dead in its tracks. "They come here often to buy vegetable and fruit from me. Very nice people."

"Do you know where they went?" Ron asked with a smile.

"No," the woman replied strongly, the bandana she had tied around her gray hair shaking as she emphasized the negative. "And I don't know where they living, either. You tell Carmine Risatti that Catalina Montebello not sell out her friends. Not matter how young his people are."

"Wait, we don't work for the Risattis," Kim replied. "I'm Kim Possible and this is Ron Stoppable, and we're actually here on behalf of their daughter, Sheila."

"Not many here know those two have daughter. You prove you not work for Risattis?"

Kim shook her head. "To tell the truth, I'm not sure there is anything we could do or say that would prove it."

The old woman's face suddenly brightened. "You prove it just now, _Signorina_. Come, I show you where they are."

The woman pulled a cover down over her stand and locked it, and then signaled a water taxi. She got in, looking at the two expectantly. Kim and Ron looked at each other just slightly stunned at the woman's quick change in demeanor, but they got in the boat anyway. The operator smiled, tipped his hat, and started the boat down the canal. After they'd gone a short distance and made several turns, the woman turned to Kim.

"We only doing this to throw off any who follow," she whispered in her broken English laced with thick Italian accent. "Nice people being sought by bad men, and you looking for nice people. So naturally, bad men follow you, see if you have more success."

Ron half-smiled. "Yeah, we kind of got that already."

Mrs. Montebello nodded. "So I guess. I also notice you being followed now."

Kim glanced around quickly, but saw no one who caught her eye. "Is that why you decided to help us?"

The old woman smiled. "No. I help because you know there no way to prove you not work for Risatti. Only person who not try that one."

Ron grinned. "Guess we got lucky, KP."

Mrs. Montebello grinned warmly and leaned in further to whisper some more. "Listen carefully: you find nice people just a few building from my stand, in old apartments in light brown building. Live on second floor in left room. Knock three time and tell them I send. Then they let you in."

Kim smiled. "_La __ringrazio, Signora Montebello_."

The old woman nodded, and then tapped the boat's driver on the shoulder. When he pulled to a stop, she pointed at the buildings.

"You find who you seek here. I not know which building."

"_Grazie_," Kim replied, pulling Ron out behind her.

Mrs. Montebello then nodded to the ferryman, who took the water taxi away from the side and continued on down the canal. As they watched them go, Ron scratched his head while Kim stared up at the building they'd been directed to.

"But didn't she say a few moments earlier…"

Kim inched closer and spoke out of the side of her mouth. "Yes she did, Ron. But we're doing this to throw off those two who have been following us. Currently at 9 o'clock."

Ron glanced at the watch function on his Kimmunicator. "Uhh, KP? It's already past 10:00 here."

Kim sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Ron, don't look at them directly, but that couple that was sitting near us at the café and who helped those thugs are standing off to our left. As in they are standing at our 9 o'clock."

Ron stretched his neck side to side a little, glancing off to the direction she'd indicated as he did so. Sure enough, there stood the exact same young couple about twenty feet away, a blonde woman and a brown-haired man. Both were dressed like tourists, and both were wearing sunglasses even though the sun had set a few hours earlier.

"Gotcha, KP," he replied when he finished his neck stretching. "So then what do we do?"

Kim thought for a moment as she observed the building before them. "Well, I'd say it's a safe bet we can't go see Sheila's parents tonight. So how about we call it a night? To be honest, I could use a good night's sleep after all the walking we've done today."

Ron smiled and nodded. "I think someone could use one the Ron-man's patented back rubs."

Kim grinned. "Sounds good to me."

When they arrived back the hangar where SAI-AT was waiting, he greeted them warmly.

"Good evening, Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable. Still no luck?"

Kim shook her head as she pressed the button on the remote to open the hatch on the side of the plane. "No, no contact, although we did get a location today. But it's too late tonight to do anything with it. Figured we'd turn in and pick it up here tomorrow."

"An excellent idea, Miss Possible. I have fresh food waiting in the fridge for your perusal."

Ron nodded as they boarded. "Thanks, SAI, but we ate earlier. Think we'll just head off to bed."

"Of course, Mr. Stoppable," the artificial intelligence replied with a smile to his voice. "Shall I turn off the cameras?"

Kim paused for a moment and glanced out into the hangar. "The ones for the back compartment, yes, but could you turn on all outside cameras?"

"Of course, Miss Possible. Anything in particular I should watch for?"

The red-head frowned as she slowly shut and locked the hatch. "Just anything or anyone suspicious."

"Very well. Sleep tight, you two."

"Thanks, SAI," she replied with a yawn before turning to face Ron. "Now, about that backrub you mentioned."

Ron grinned, kissing her gently before picking her up softly to carry her into the back compartment, shutting the door behind him.

**…**  
**…**

Just outside the hangar, a man dressed in a night watchman's uniform smiled excitedly, having been listening to most of the conversation. He'd hated that he'd been assigned to watch their plane, but now that assignment was about to pay off big. Grinning, he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. Quickly he dialed a number, and waited impatiently for the other end to pick up. When they did, his smile grew.

"Carmine, I think we might have them."

"Are you positive, Nicoló? Two others thought that about an hour ago when they followed these two, and it turned up nothing."

"Yeah, the girl just said they learned the location earlier, but that they're going to wait till tomorrow to do anything with it. Mentioned something about how late it is."

"Good. Watch them carefully, and let me know the minute they leave in the morning. It's time we ended this little cat-and-mouse game."

Nicoló smiled again. "Don't worry, Don Risatti. I'll let you know the first move they make. I know how long you've been waiting to get your hands on Sheridan Godfrey and what she owes us."

* * *

a/n

Thanks to all of you, this tale has now surpassed **Changes** as my story with the most hits, and currently sits at just slightly over 13k hits by itself. THANK YOU! *bow*

On a separate note, the poll is still up on my author page. And to be honest, I'm getting tempted to follow what it says to do. :)

And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)


	28. Chapter 28

A/N

Chapter 28 is up and running!

Sorry about the delay, folks, but since ski season has picked up, my job has become a lot more hectic and I can't work on this thing anywhere close to the level I was able to less than a month ago. But rest assured, I'm working on getting the updates out as quickly as possible. Also, if all goes well, you may soon know what a few of my OCs look like, as the pictures showing them are almost ready for publishing to DevArt. :) But enough about all that. Let's get on with the story:

Kim and Ron discuss how they want to proceed with getting the Godfreys out of Italy, and it brings up a problem they didn't expect.

Then the actual meeting with the Godfreys raises more questions than it answers.

Unfortunately, the sitch escalates out of control when the Risattis descend on them, and Team Possible is forced to face something they hate...while Ron ponders something he's never really understood.

However, getting out of this sitch may take help from a source that might be more than it appears to be...but the results could end up hitting Kim and Ron hard...

Finally, back in Go City, Sheila finally gets the opportunity to ask Kim a big question...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Just outside the hangar, a man dressed in a night watchman's uniform smiled excitedly, having been listening to most of the conversation. He'd hated that he'd been assigned to watch their plane, but now that assignment was about to pay off big. Grinning, he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. Quickly he dialed a number, and waited impatiently for the other end to pick up. When they did, his smile grew.

"Carmine, I think we might have them."

"Are you positive, Nicoló? Two others thought that about an hour ago when they followed these two, and it turned up nothing."

"Yeah, the girl just said they learned the location earlier, but that they're going to wait till tomorrow to do anything with it. Mentioned something about how late it is."

"Good. Watch them carefully, and let me know the minute they leave in the morning. It's time we ended this little cat-and-mouse game."

Nicoló smiled again. "Don't worry, Don Risatti. I'll let you know the first move they make. I know how long you've been waiting to get your hands on Sheridan Godfrey and what she owes us."

* * *

Sunday morning, both Kim and Ron awoke with an unexplainable uneasiness scratching at the back of their minds. Actually, they knew what it was, but neither of them could truly pin it down other than to put it the best way they could. And for Ron, he was glad Kim brought to topic the concern they were both feeling before he could do it himself.

"How did Carmine Risatti know so much about what we're doing here?" the red-head voiced with a frown as they ate breakfast in the kitchen nook of SAI-AT's rear compartment. "I mean, it's not like we tell people what our missions involve beforehand."

Ron shrugged a bit. "Maybe he's got some sort of psychic ability."

"Ron, get serious," Kim replied with shake of her head. "Part of what has helped us all these years is that we're usually ahead of the bad guys when it comes to planning. But this feels like we're on the Lil' Diablo mission all over again."

The young man grinned. "Well, at least this time there's no _him_ to throw us off our game."

She couldn't resist a smile. "True. The relationship sitch is ferociously better this time around."

"Glad I can help," her fiancé replied with a laugh.

Kim giggled for a minute before taking a deep breath. "But seriously, Ron: aren't you at all curious how Carmine knew so much about what we're up to and why we're here?"

Ron chewed his breakfast for a moment before answering. "Well, maybe we're being followed. I mean, Emilio and Alessandria did say that the Risattis have eyes pretty much everywhere."

Kim pondered that for a bit. "You know, now that I think about it, that pair disguised as tourists were practically everywhere we went these past few days. And if we are being followed, this little retrieval sitch could get a lot harder real quick. Part of the plan is to get Sheila's parents out of here while drawing as little attention as possible."

Ron sighed and set down his spoon in his now empty bowl. "KP, I thought you were working on that. Not everything has to be completely planned out down to the last detail."

Kim frowned. "Ron, that's part of who I am, you know that. Besides, I'd rather have a plan than fly by the seat of our pants. Especially since the few times we've done things that way it almost bit us hard."

Now it was Ron's turn to raise an eyebrow. "I'm not saying we shouldn't have a plan, Kim. I'm just pointing out that maybe this is one of those missions where we need to be more fluid in how we handle it. That's all I'm getting at."

Kim got a strange look on her face as she got up to take her dishes to the sink, as if she were both annoyed and intrigued by what Ron had mentioned. And while she washed them off, her posture and demeanor both seemed off-kilter from her normally positive mood. Ron sat there scratching his head, trying to figure out what exactly he'd said that had sent her outlook in this direction so quickly. He was about to say something when she turned around and fixed him with a look he couldn't have read no matter how much he might want to—and at the moment her really, _really_ wanted to.

"You okay, KP?" he asked tentatively.

The look didn't change. "Yes Ron, I'm fine. Well, actually no. Look, I'm all for having back-up plans and not being stuck in a specific method of doing things. But you and I both know that sometimes we have to have set ways we're going to do things if we're going to be successful. And it's not just here on this mission either. It's also in college and with the two of us."

The blonde shook his head a bit as he stood up from the table where they had been eating their breakfast, wiping it down before flipping back up into the wall it had folded down from. "Whoa, KP, getting a little off-topic here. Besides, what would be the big problem with if instead of planning it all out we just react to what happens? I mean, we don't even know for sure that we're going to be able to convince Sheila's parents to come with us."

Kim had to admit he had a point there as they walked out into the main compartment of the aircraft. "I know that, Ron, but we also have to consider the possibility that they might really want to leave and that we're the only way they think they can safely manage it. If that's the case, we need to have a solid plan for getting them safely on to SAI here and out of the country as soon as possible."

At that moment the artificial intelligence's voice cut in. "Miss Possible, I have no fears about entering hostile situations if I must. After all, Dr. Freeman can be a bit paranoid sometimes, and made many of my features protective in nature. I also have the same bravery and courage programming as my older sister."

Kim shook her head. "SAI, it's more than that. If Carmine Risatti is determined to keep others away from the Godfreys, it's a pretty sure bet he wouldn't have much problem with hurting or killing them to make sure of it. And we're not going to endanger them if we can help it."

Ron put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "KP, this is what I mean. Let's go this one step at a time, and make sure they want to leave before we start trying to figure out how we're going to get them out safely."

Kim rounded on him, and the tweak was evident on her face. "And what if we have no options and have to pull them out right then, hmm? What do we do then, Ron? Cause if you have a plan for that I'm all ears."

The young man shrugged and shrank into one of the vista seats. "Sorry," he replied in a smaller than normal voice and tone. "I guess I didn't think this through too well, cause I don't have a plan for that."

Kim immediately realized she'd just nearly bitten his head off again, something she'd promised herself she was going to work on not doing as much as she once had. "Ron, I'm sorry too, but you have to realize this isn't just another mission here. We not dealing with crazed villains so focused on their plans they do some of the work for us—we're dealing with an organized criminal element known for being efficient in what they do. And what we're retrieving isn't just some technology—it's two people we have to keep alive and as safe as possible for this to even be considered a half-success. Meaning we can't just hope we get lucky."

Ron nodded, and Kim was grateful to see a determined smile return to his face. "You know what? You're right, KP. We need to figure out some way to get a step ahead of these guys in how we act and think."

"Excuse me," interrupted SAI-AT politely, "but I think there may be a way to do that right now."

Kim looked at what she believed to be the intelligence's main observation method—a covered dome hanging from the main compartment's ceiling which contained a single blue electronic eye. "What do you mean?"

The same view-screen that had held Wade's face a few days earlier slid down, as well as a very skeletal robotic tendril that extended next to it. The screen showed the view of the hangar's main doors outside, and the tendril pointed at them on the screen—specifically at a man who appeared to be watching the plane with an uncomfortably large amount of interest.

"I noticed this guard acting strangely last night when you asked me to turn on all of my outside cameras. Though he is dressed in the uniform of the typical security personnel who have been checking on this hangar every so often, I do not believe him to be part of the airport's staff. To my knowledge, he has not left the area, nor has another guard come on to replace him, even though I have taken note that many of the other workers I may observe from this location have changed shifts several times. I believe he may have either tailed the two of you here last night, or was assigned by someone to keep a watch on me."

Kim smiled and glanced at Ron, who nodded…

**…**  
**…**

Carmine Risatti blew a frustrated puff on his cigar. He had awoken earlier than normal just so he would be ready for Nicoló's early morning call that the two teenagers had left the airport and were heading to meet the troublesome Godfreys. However, the call had yet to come in, probably because the lazy teenagers had most likely yet to even get out bed that morning.

_Stupido Americans,_ he grumbled to himself.

He tapped the cigar on an ornate obsidian ashtray with his right hand and rubbed his aged and chiseled chin in frustration with his left. He had just reached for the decanter of his favorite Italian brandy to pour himself a glass when his "business" phone began ringing. He smiled to himself, knowing what the call was about.

"Tell me good news," he chimed in a voice full of confident smirk.

"Don Risatti, they are on the move," Nicoló said on the other end. "They are heading towards the Dorsoduro area. Where the main canal connects with the large canal of the same name."

Carmine frowned, understanding the message, but kept the smile in his voice. "Good work, Nicoló. I shall send the men there at once."

He hung up the phone, his frown becoming a scowl as he looked at the two thugs before him, one bald and one with a large scar on his right cheek. "They have found and captured Nicoló, and are heading towards the Cannaregio neighborhood. Be ready. And if they try to leave with the Godfreys, take them out. But leave Sheridan Godfrey alive—I will not have that investment lost before I get a chance to reap the benefits."

**…**  
**…**

Shortly after SAI-AT had mentioned the "guard" watching them, Kim had slipped outside and surprised the man. The fight hadn't been much of one, with the red-head's flips and kicks simply too much for the simple henchman and his ordinary handgun to handle. In no time at all, he was unwillingly seated in one of SAI-AT's vista seats, his wrist and ankles tied. After only a few minutes Team Possible learned his name was Nicoló, and also that SAI had been right about Carmine Risatti sending him to spy on them. They also managed to learn that he was supposed to report on them and their activities, specifically when they left to go meet Sheila's parents that morning. After forcing him to make the call, they had left him tied up inside the plane with instructions for SAI-AT to dump him quickly and come get them if they called. Then they'd headed out, first towards Emilio and Alessandria's for a preemptive apology for breaking their dinner plans in case things went south. The couple was more than understanding, and Alessandria even insisted on fixing the two of them a proper breakfast after hearing they'd basically gone the cereal route that morning. After politely accepting and enjoying some relaxing conversation with their friends over the meal, the teens headed off towards Venice's Cannaregio district and the building near Mrs. Montebello's produce stand.

The light brown building the old woman had directed them too was actually a fairly rundown affair that looked like it might soon topple into the canal if a heavy rain fell on its roof. Inside was worse, with stained and peeling paint and a definite odor of neglect and mustiness hanging in the air. The steps they climbed to get to the second floor were old and creaky even though they were cement, and each step they took seemed to push the threshold of what the building might be able to hold. Upstairs, the building was shoddily divided into two apartments.

One of the apartments had no door, and it looked like no one had even stepped inside there for many months, as a thick layer of dust rose with every step. The other one at least had a door, but the state of said obstacle looked like it would take no more than a few good, regular knocks on it to break it in. However, Kim still reached out and knocked three times as Mrs. Montebello had instructed.

"Who's there?" called a man in what was easily determinable as a voice that had once spoken English but now spoke mainly Italian.

"We were sent here by _Signora_ Montebello," Ron called out.

The voice from the other side of the door could be heard whispering something frantically, and Kim and Ron could hear not one but two sets of feet moving around quickly. However, when the door opened wide, all that the two of them saw was an elderly-looking man who gave the impression that even with his apparent advanced age he was probably still about ten years younger than the wrinkles on his face made him appear. His gray hair was drastically thinning and slightly disheveled, and he looked like he would love nothing more than to eat something substantial. Dark brown eyes held a fire of spirit that had probably once been bright, but right now looked like they were growing tired of fighting and running, and his nose was large and bulbous. All in all, he looked like a man who had been either running or hiding for a long time. And judging from his disheveled and messy appearance, he was also a man who probably disliked his current hermit-like existence as a bachelor.

"I don't know a _Signora_ Montebello, miss, sorry," he said with a look halfway between a smile and a grimace, and then began to shut the door in their faces.

"Really," Kim replied as she put a hand out to stop the door. "Then perhaps you might know a Sheila Godfrey. Or maybe you're acquainted with her four brothers."

The door stopped closing, and actually swung back a little as the color started to drain from the man's face. "Why would we…Why would _I_ know them?" he said gruffly, attempting to cover up his slip.

Ron smiled. "Maybe because you've been a bit worried how they've been doing, Mr. Godfrey. Or should we say, Heathcliff."

What color was left quickly fled from the man's face. "How do you know those names?" he said with a slight shake to his voice

Kim glanced behind her, her weird-ar starting to ping a bit as a feeling of unease started creeping up her neck. "We'd be happy to tell you that, Sir, but we'd feel a lot better if we discussed this inside where we can't be surprised by people who aren't supposed to hear it."

The man chewed his lip a bit as he eyed them warily. "Well…you do look too young to be with the Risattis. And obviously Catalina Montebello feels you're trustworthy, or she wouldn't have told you where we were. Okay, come in. Quickly."

They did as he said, and found themselves standing in what had to be one of the barest apartments they had ever set foot in. There was a table and a pair of chairs in a small efficiency kitchen that made the ones in their Units at G.V.U. look like gourmet set-ups worthy of Ron's tastes. Off to the side was a small bedroom with a bed on a frame but lacking a headboard, while the bathroom off the main room looked like it was kept clean but not entirely well-maintained. Overall, the apartment looked like the sort of place people used only if they were trying to avoid drawing notice. Still, it looked like some work had been put in to make the place generally cozy and inviting. However, the minute they stepped inside and turned around to face the man they each felt a gun tap against the back of their skulls, presumably held by the owner of the other voice they had heard through the door.

"Sit down and start talking," the man said in a suddenly slightly younger voice. "And be warned that if you happen to say anything we don't like, we're going to make sure you end up just like Sleepy Hollow's most famous resident."

Kim nodded and took a deep breath as she and Ron sat down in two of the only three chairs slowly, the guns never leaving the points where their necks joined their heads. "First of all, we know that you are Heathcliff Godfrey. And that the person pointing the guns at our heads is most likely your wife, noted scientist and progressive geneticist Dr. Sheridan Godfrey. We also know you are the parents of Hector, Sheila, Melvin, Werner, and Wesley Godfrey, better known to the rest of the world as Team Go, protectors of Go City. We also know that for some reason the two of you decided to fake your deaths back in '94 when your only daughter was fourteen."

"All common knowledge if you've already figured out who we are," the man replied gruffly.

"Well this isn't," Ron replied. "We know that approximately eight years ago, you contacted your eldest son Hector, a.k.a. Hego, at the Go City Bueno Nacho to ask him why he'd let his sister quit Team Go and start working for evil. And you kept reappearing there every few months to ask the same thing until about a year ago, at which time your last contact with him was over a phone with a very poor signal."

Both Kim and Ron felt the guns removed from close proximity to their heads a second before they heard the weapons dropped to the floor. However, they stayed seated, not wanting to alarm their hosts. After a few minutes of uncomfortable and tense silence, the person behind them spoke. The voice had a very familiar quality to it, as if it were Sheila from about thirty years in the future. It also gave them both slight headaches to think about that, as if they'd already heard what she'd sound like when she got older. However, the headaches vanished quickly, and both Kim and Ron passed them off as being residuals from the one of the missions June and Xander had mentioned that summer.

"Well, if you weren't sent here by Carmine, then Betty sent you. And my answer is the same now as it was then—No."

Kim turned slowly around, doing her best not to alarm the woman. "Actually, we didn't tell Dr. Director that we were coming here, nor did we know you have any connection to her, Dr. Godfrey. To be honest, we're here because Sheila wanted us to come and find you."

The woman smirked, and Kim could almost picture the shorter black hair lengthening past the woman's waist and growing a green tint while the skin shifted towards a mint-green shade. "Like she cares about us. Turned her back on everything we ever taught her about doing what her heart said was right regardless of what others thought or said about her. Used her gifts for selfish purposes and made us ashamed to have been the ones who raised her."

Ron also turned slowly. "To tell the truth, Sheila's a lot different now. She's currently back with her brothers in Go City, and trying to turn her life around."

"Uh huh, different," chirruped Rufus as he popped out of Ron's pocket.

"And why would she do that?" Sheridan spat bitterly. "Did she suddenly get tired of dragging our family's name through the mud?"

Kim shook her head. "No, although that might be part of it now. Actually, she's got another reason for turning over a new leaf."

"What, she's pregnant or something?" scoffed Heathcliff as he came around to stand by his wife.

Kim and Ron actually had to do a double-take, as he suddenly looked about twenty years younger and more than a bit different than he had a few moments ago. That's when they both noticed a smudged cloth sitting on the counter next to a gray wig cap and a false nose. Now that they gave him a second look, his hair was a shiny black with a gray streak running through the middle and around the edges. Most of the wrinkles on his cheeks were gone, but there were still a few around his eyes that made him look like a wizened version of Hego. His chin and the overall face were a bit more narrowed like Mego's might be in a few years, but the rest of him definitely looked like his eldest son. As he stood next to his wife, it was easy to see where each of the Godfrey siblings got their traits…all except for Mego's lankiness, which really could have come from anything.

Kim and Ron looked at each other in surprise, both pretty sure Sheila's father had probably only guessed right out of sheer luck.

"Umm…yes," Kim replied.

Two sets of eyes shot wide, and neither belonged to a person under twenty or a mole rat. Though their lips moved as if they were talking, neither Heathcliff nor Sheridan spoke for a few moments. Although the pause was slightly uncomfortable, it wasn't nearly as long as the one that had occurred just a minute or two earlier. Finally, Sheridan Godfrey started to speak.

"Say that is true. How are we to know you aren't here to…"

Her speech was interrupted by a sudden explosion from down at canal level and a rush of dust up the stairs outside the apartment. Smoke immediately started pouring under the door, and Kim and Ron both felt their mission senses go on immediate and high alert. Mentally grateful they had decided to go with their mission wear today as it allowed them greater freedom of movement, they immediately sprang out of their chairs and into action. Kim quickly grabbed Sheridan and pulled her down while Ron did the same with Heathcliff. Less than two minutes later, the door to the apartment was blown so hard off its hinges that it slammed into the kitchen counter between them and cracked in half. All four quickly crouched low out of clear shot range from any of the windows and slid out of range of anything else that might come from the hallway.

It was a good thing too, as less than five seconds later bullets began flying into the apartment from all directions. Several items began exploding and shattering as the rounds impacted against them. The kitchen sink itself took a couple of direct hits, and immediately started gushing water into the room like a busted fire hydrant. Kim made a motion to Ron, and the two of them began inching towards opposite sides of the door but still doing their best to stay out of view of the windows. Fired rounds continue to zing over their heads, the screen of bullet trails threatening to turn them all into Swiss cheese if they stood up any higher than a yard tall. Kim and Ron looked towards the Godfreys, and were surprised to see the two of them communicating in a series of hand signals they'd only seen in spy movies. The two of them also noticed Sheila's parents appeared to be remaining completely calm, something a regular doctor and a…whatever Heathcliff did…wouldn't be able to do. It was easily apparent to both teens they still didn't have the full story of what they'd signed on for with this sitch.

A few minutes later, the bullets stopped. Smoke and dust still filled the apartment, and there were very few things that weren't shattered or at the very least severely damaged from the hail of fire. Included in the destruction were the guns Sheridan had been pointing at the teens, both now nothing more than piles of slag. The severely damaged sink was still gushing, though not as strong, and the water was slowly covering the whole of the apartment. Kim pulled her compact out of her pocket and held it out at an angle so she could see down the hallway without exposing herself to the mobsters that had been firing into the apartment from that direction. A few more shots rang out and zipped by as the compact apparently caught a glare and sent it down the hall, and Kim quickly drew both it and her hand back out of sight.

A few seconds later they heard Baldy's voice echoing down the hallway from the stairs. "You idiots had better hope that the doctor isn't lying in there dying, or the Don will have our heads!" Then he called through the smoke towards the apartment. "We know you're there, Dr. Sheridan Godfrey. If you come out now we promise we won't hurt your husband or the two teenagers."

Heathcliff looked livid. "What do you want, Cavalli?"

The thug laughed a bit. "Simple. We want what your wife owes us."

"I don't owe you or Carmine anything!" Sheridan snapped loudly. "Our agreement ended the day you tried to hurt my children!"

Kim looked at the older woman incredulously. There _actually had_ been an agreement between the doctor and the Risattis? Whose side were these people on?

Another laugh echoed from Cavalli. "In your eyes maybe, Dr. Godfrey, but Don Risatti does not break deals until they are completed. And since he has not yet gotten the results you promised him, the deal is not complete."

"And I told him the results were inconclusive and needed testing that I needed subjects to verify. And I'm still not willing to do that."

"But still you got your test subjects," another voice called in a harshly laughing tone, one that Kim and Ron recognized as belonging to Scarface. "And your research proved a success, did it not?"

"So he sent you too, huh Scarbrelini?" Heathcliff yelled with a confident smirk to his voice.

"It is _Garbrelini_," the gangster called out with a sneer. "Someday I will pay you back for this scar, Godfrey!"

"Tell you what," Heathcliff growled. "I'll fix your face the day you scum fix what you did to our children! Without you, they would be free to live normal lives!"

"Ha!" yelled Garbrelini. "If not for what we did, your brats would have been killed by that comet!"

Kim and Ron looked at each other in shock. There was _definitely_ more going on here than either they or Wade had been told! Maybe even more than Sheila and her brothers were aware of, as neither the now-reformed villainess nor any of her brothers had ever mentioned anything along these lines. For that matter, it was a little strange that five supposedly ordinary kids had somehow survived a rogue comet completely destroying their tree-house…not to mention that it had given them powers instead of seriously injuring them.

There was a sudden lull of silence, and Kim immediately began to sense that the mobsters outside were trying to organize some sort of ambush. She quickly motioned to Ron, who could apparently sense it too, as he began pointing at himself and the windows. Kim shook her head, pointed at her eyes, and then to the windows, signaling that they needed to keep an eye on the openings but not commit to them. Ron held up a finger as an idea crossed his mind, and immediately pointed at his pocket where Rufus was. Kim shook her head and looked at him confusedly, not understanding. Then he pointed at her and again at his pocket before holding up his hand and beginning to mime pressing a button on a TV remote. That's when she remembered SAI-AT's remote in her pocket.

However, before she could pull it out a few of the thugs came rushing into the room. Kim immediately swept her leg hard at the ankles of the one closest to her while Ron did the same to another. As the mobsters fell, each received a hard knock-out chop to the back of his neck. The two young people turned towards the third thug simultaneously just in time to see him slumping out cold to the ground with a bloody nose, the impression of Heathcliff's larger-than-average fist plastered on his face. Kim grabbed at the dropped gun the man pulled from the ground, and shook her head, refusing to let Sheila's father bring the weapon to bear at the unconscious henchmen. He glared at her questioningly, and she shook her head in an emphatic negative. And her reaction became even more resistant when Heathcliff tried to raise the firearm and point it down the hall at the ones who had so recently been shooting at the four of them.

As he watched the split-second stand-off between the two, Ron took a deep breath of both pride and worry. For reasons he still didn't understand, Kim had never liked guns, nor had she ever willingly let a life be lost because of their missions. There had even been once or twice where she had put her own life in danger to rescue a henchman who might have fallen to his death off a high ledge or into a vat of something hazardous. Normally she immediately knocked said henchman out once he was safe, but it worried the young man that his fiancée so often put life before her own safety, particularly when it came to dealing with firearms. More than once Ron had tried to ask her about it, but she always clammed up and refused to speak on the subject. It was as if there were something in her life that had scarred her emotionally and mentally, but for the life of him Ron couldn't figure out what that was since he knew practically every single one of her stories and adventures—heck, he'd been a part of most of them.

On most of their missions it hadn't really been that big of an issue, as the majority of villains they continuously faced never used guns—maybe because they didn't like how quickly the weapons ended things. Or maybe the super-villains of the world simply wanted to prove their superiority by placing themselves above the common thug. But times like this, when it was clear that things might be better and safer if Kim let that rule relax a bit, worried Ron in ways he couldn't even begin to put into words. True, he agreed with her point about not shooting the three henchmen they had just knocked unconscious, but considering they were currently pinned down in the apartment, it might not hurt to return a little fire down the hallway if only for the fact that the Risatti Organization would know they had the capability to do so and wouldn't be as eager to rush the room a second time.

The young man's attention was brought back to the present by a shot ringing out, and for the next few seconds time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl. He didn't know how, but Ron could see the bullet as it flew through the air at Kim's leg, and somehow he knew if it hit her it was going to cause serious damage. Reacting faster than he knew he could, Ron nudged her leg at the thigh with his foot. The result was that she was pushed out of the way just barely enough that the shot didn't hit her. It still ripped through the pouch the young woman wore on her leg, but since she wasn't currently carrying anything there, the only damage was the hole through the fabric.

Unfortunately, the resulting reaction also sent the red-head into the man she had been trying to keep from raising the gun dropped by one of the unconscious thugs. Surprising them both, the sudden change in momentum carried them to the floor, as well as twisting Heathcliff's leg in a way it wasn't supposed to go. There was a slightly audible snap, and his face quickly twisted in pain. Kim winced, realizing the injury was going to make getting out of there much more difficult. She quickly pulled the much larger man over to the safety of a corner. Fishing into her pocket, she pulled out a rolled-up bandage, and began to quickly wrap Sheila's father's leg. While she did so, she felt a scampering on her own leg. Looking down, she saw Rufus diving into her pocket for SAI-AT's remote. She looked up at Ron and smiled, giving him a definite thumbs-up of approval for sending the smallest member of the team into action.

The mole rat quickly emerged, the device in hand, and handed it to the young woman. She quickly pressed the distress button four times, signaling a need for an emergency pick-up of four. (They had agreed earlier that Ron and Rufus would be counted as one since the small rodent could easily ride in his owner's pocket.) Now they just had to figure out a way to get outside safely. After checking the bandage she'd put on Heathcliff's leg, Kim quickly began typing a message on her wrist Kimmunicator and showed it to Heathcliff.

_Any way for us to easily get to the roof?_

Sheila's father winced a bit at his injured leg as he thought for a second. Then he did the one thing the red-head had been hoping he wouldn't do, and thumbed down the outside hallway before making an upwards motion, indicating a staircase that led to the roof. Making the situation worse, the smoke and dust cloud that had been pervading the apartment and offering at least some cover for them was beginning to dissipate. Somehow, they had to make it out of the apartment and to the staircase, and they needed to do it quickly. Kim mentally admonished herself for not taking better notice of the layout of the hallway on their way in.

At that moment, both hers and Ron's Kimmunicators began beeping at them urgently.

"Kind of busy here, Wade," she said quickly as plastered herself harder against the wall to stay out of site of the windows as a few bullets whistled by just barely a foot in front of her.

"Kim, the ceiling and roof above you isn't very thick, and SAI-AT says he's going to try and use his heavy cargo hook to try and break through it. You need to make sure you stay where you are so he doesn't hit you."

A fresh shower of bullets impacted above their heads, covering their heads in plaster dust.

"Not gonna be a problem, Wade," Ron yelled over the noise. "Problem might come with him getting us out of here."

Wade frowned. "SAI claims he has that taken care of. Not real sure how."

Kim shook her head. "Wade, he needs to be aware that Mr. Godfrey has an injured leg. We're not going to be able to pull off anything too spectacular here."

"I realize this, Miss Possible, but I am positive I can safely extract all five of you with little to no trouble."

The young woman was slightly surprised to hear the artificial intelligence's calm and pleasant male voice come over the Kimmunicators until she realized Wade was most likely multi-conferencing with them and SAI-AT at the same time.

"Well, SAI, whatever you're gonna do, better make it quick. One of the reasons we're not already Swiss cheese in here is there's a debris cloud giving us a little bit of cover, but that's quickly beginning to fade out."

At that moment, there was large crash heard from above, and large amount of plaster dust came off the ceiling, giving every occupant of the room an instant cap of grey hair—Rufus actually looked like he'd suddenly become a ghost! The crash was soon repeated a second and third time, with more dust showering them. The fourth time, several cracks appeared in a spider-web formation over the dining room table. The next impact put a hubcap-sized hole in the ceiling and a large piece of plaster through the table, and the last one caused the hole to grow to about four feet across, sparking wires, support beams, and jagged concrete making it look more like a forbidding mouth than an escape route. Immediately, a large tube dropped down, and out of the side extended a blue electronic eye on a tendril.

"Mr. Godfrey, I would recommend you coming first," SAI-AT's voice rang out from the tendril. "I still have the element of surprise on them, and since you are largest and have the injury, this would be the best time for you to take your turn."

Heathcliff glanced at Kim, and she smiled and nodded. Quickly with her help, he made his way over to the tube and entered. The tube immediately closed and shot up out of sight. Kim turned her gaze towards her fiancé and Sheridan Godfrey.

"You're up next, Dr. Godfrey," she called urgently.

"No," the woman called. "You kids are leaving before I do. After all, it's me they're after."

Ron shook his head. "I can tell you right now that's an argument you're not going to win, Mrs. Godfrey. KP's got her mind set that we have to get the two of you out before we get out. And I agree with her."

Sheridan started to protest when the tube came back through the hole in the ceiling, this time accompanied by the clanging of gunfire impacting against it above the opening it had entered. "Next, please," SAI-AT called urgently, his electronic eye scanning them.

Kim shot a meaningful look at Ron, and the young man grimaced but nodded his agreement.

"Sorry about this, Dr. Godfrey!" he shouted apologetically as he gave her an urgent shove towards the opening.

Before Sheila's mother could react, the door had shut behind her. Kim and Ron could both hear her pounding on it and shouting her protests as it shot up out of sight. Now it was just the two of them. Ron quickly made a dive and roll across the doorway to the safer side of the room where Kim was hunkered down, pocketing Rufus securely the moment he managed to right himself and regain his bearings.

"You're next, KP," he declared.

"No, Ron, you are," she countered. "We both know I'm the more agile and the smaller target."

"Kim, you're not doing that to me," the young man responded. "Just for once, let me make sure you're out first."

Kim was about to offer up another protest when she saw the look in his eyes. Ron had a brave face on, but his eyes showed just how dire he believed the sitch to be. Judging by the gaze she saw there, he was genuinely worried that they might still have a major problem on this mission, and she could tell he wouldn't be able to settle down until he knew she was safe. She of course felt the same about him, but she could also tell that while she would still be able to function fully while worried about him, he might not be able to do the same.

She took a deep breath, brushing some of the plaster dust lovingly off his cheek. "Okay, Ron, I'll go first. But only if you promise me you won't do something brave or foolish while you're down here by yourself. No charging the gauntlet to keep them back while I get out, and don't go fighting them unless you absolutely have to. And the minute the tube returns, you get in as fast as you can! Deal?"

Ron nodded and kissed her forehead gently, not even caring about the plaster dust that painted his mouth an off-white. "Deal."

The tube returned at that moment, and Kim nodded, looking at him for a second to gather strength before diving in. The door shut the moment she was in with a whoosh, and immediately she could hear servos whirring as she felt the tube carrying her upwards. She could hear the loud pinging as bullets impacted the outside, and if the tube had been wide enough, she would have been pacing nervously as she thought about Ron still down in the apartment. The trip upwards seemed to take forever. The minute it was over and that door opened, she quickly dove out, wanting to let SAI-AT send the transport tube back down to Ron as soon as she could. As if sensing her thoughts, the transport immediately disappeared into the floor of the aircraft. She waited with bated breath, counting the seconds with a growing sense of nervous apprehension. There was a slight sound of servos whining and stopping, which she interpreted as the tube arriving back down to the apartment.

However, after a couple of minutes, there still had not been the sound of the tube returning. Kim stared expectantly at the hatch, even kneeling down and putting her hand on it. And still she heard nothing and felt no vibrations.

"SAI, what's going on down there?" she called unsurely as she paced quickly towards the blue-eye dome in the ceiling of the aircraft.

"I am not entirely sure, Miss Possible, as my electronic eye attached to the transport tube has been damaged. The last image I have is of a bullet striking it as the tube entered the building. However, I am showing the door to the tube open and Rufus inside. Mr. Stoppable, however, is not yet aboard."

Kim turned her gaze worriedly back towards the hatch. "Well, the minute he's back on board, get us out of here!" she declared with an urgent calm she didn't feel in the slightest way—or at least, she didn't feel the calm part.

All at once, there was a swishing sound, and the servos sped to life. A few minutes later, seemingly much shorter than Kim's ride, the tube arrived. The door opened, and Ron stepped out…covered in a large spatter of blood!

"RON!" Kim screamed as she dashed forward.

But before she could get there, the young man had pulled off his shirt, wiped the blood from his neck and face with a clean portion of it, and tossed it to the floor of the plane with a look somewhere between shock and disgust. Looking at him as she pulled up less than two feet from him, she realized the blood wasn't his. But then who did it belong to?

"Ron?" the red-head said gently as she tentatively reached a hand out to him.

"They shot him," Ron intoned in disbelief as he melted into her touching his cheek lovingly. "One of their own guys, KP, and they shot him in cold blood just to try to keep me from getting in the tube. I actually had to force his arms from around me as he died."

Kim's mouth fell open slightly, and her eyes zoned out for a second. Apart from Erik (who didn't really count in either of their minds since he had turned out to be a Synthodrone instead of a real person), no one had ever died because of them or their missions prior to the alien invasion. In fact, they had taken great pride in the fact that they were able to say that neither good guy nor bad guy had ever perished on their missions. Monkey Fist himself was a touchy one since they knew he wasn't really dead but wasn't really alive, but other than that they had practically a perfect record that they could be proud of—a record which now seemed to be falling apart. Add this thug's death to those of Warhok and Warmonga, and it set their death total on missions in a single year to three…and now one of the deaths they'd inadvertently caused was that of a human being.

"I can't believe they'd kill one of their own guys just to keep us from leaving," she remarked, a shocked cynicism pervading her voice.

"That's the Risattis for you," Heathcliff said from behind them, an agitated yet knowing smirk to his voice.

The two young people turned towards him, and saw that he was now using a cane on his injured leg side—presumably one SAI-AT had somehow given him. At his side stood his wife, Dr. Sheridan Godfrey, and both had odd looks on their faces. They appeared about to say something when SAI spoke up.

"Miss Possible, we are now out of the city of Venice, and heading directly towards London. After a quick stop to refuel, I will set course for Middleton."

"Go City," Kim corrected. "That's where we need to take Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey."

Then she turned towards Sheila's parents. "Look, to be honest, we've got about a million questions for you two at the moment. But I also think we could all use a good rest after what we just dealt with. The two of you take the bedroom in the back, and we'll sleep out here."

"Thank you," Sheridan said with a small smile. "For getting us out, I mean."

"No big," Kim replied, her customary reply to being thanked for what Team Possible did feeling like it was at complete odds with how she currently felt inside.

As Sheila's parents disappeared into the back compartment, Ron picked up the bloody shirt and put it into a trash bin. He then glanced at the now shut back bedroom door before turning towards Kim.

"Aww, man. KP, all my other shirts are in the back bedroom."

"Incorrect, Mr. Stoppable," SAI-AT replied. "The closet may be accessed from out here as well. And since I can tell you are about to ask, Miss Possible, it may only be accessed from one side at a time."

Kim let loose with a very mischievous, girlish grin. "Actually SAI, I was just going to say that I don't see the problem with Ron going bare-chested for a bit."

The young man smiled. "Wouldn't have a problem with it except that I'm kind of cold here, KP," he complained good-naturedly as he rubbed his arms for a little bit for emphasis.

"I'm sure I could warm you up, no problem," the red-head replied with a flirtatious giggle.

Ron shook his head a bit in amusement. While he always enjoyed the attention, Kim flirting with him always managed to catch him just slightly off-guard while at the same time making him involuntarily pull out one of his trademark goofy grins. As Kim began advancing on him, he couldn't resist pulling one out now, all thoughts of being cold vanishing like they'd never existed…

**…**  
**…**

Cavalli and Garbrelini stood nervously before Don Risatti, both of them sweating rivers that could probably challenge the canal out front. Above all else, Carmine had told them to make sure Dr. Sheridan Godfrey did not make it out of the country under any circumstances. And in that they had failed, as the plane that had somehow come to the pair's and Team Possible's rescue was by now heading over Western Europe on its way to the United States. However, they didn't feel nearly as worried for themselves as they did for Nicoló, who stood between them and the obviously very displeased crime boss.

"Nicoló," Carmine breathed out with a large cigar puff, "I assigned to you a very simple task: to watch those American teenagers carefully and not be caught. And yet you not only allowed yourself to be captured, but you also told them everything they needed to know about us. Tell me why I should not now have Cavalli and Garbrelini here fit you with cement shoes and then drop you into the Mediterranean."

Nicoló gulped, knowing he held his life precariously in his own hands at the moment. "Because…because, Don Risatti, I have some information you might be interested in."

Another puff on the cigar was accompanied by a slow swirling of amber liquid in a glass. "And what information would that be?"

"I overheard the _Signorina _Possible and _Signore_ Stoppable saying that the daughter of the Godfreys is _pregnante_…with twins."

"And what good does that do me, Nicoló? She currently lives with her brothers." As he spoke, Carmine's eyes narrowed, and his Italian accent began flaring up. "Are you so _stupido_ and _cervello morti_ that you think to assault the stronghold of a team of superheroes?"

Garbrelini spoke up, running a hand over his scar as he did so. "I believe what Nicoló is getting at, and I agree with him, is that soon she won't be. You in your wisdom know from our observations that Go Tower is constantly under attack by the villains of Go City, and it seems to me that would be the last place Sheila Godfrey would want to raise her kids. 'Specially if she's trying to raise a _coppia_ _di_ _neonati_."

Carmine's eyes began lighting up again. "_Buono_. _Buono_. Alert our men still stationed in Go City. Tell them to prepare for my arrival."

"You, _Signore_?" Cavalli replied, scratching his bald head in confusion.

"Yes," the Italian crime boss answered with a menacing smile. "The Godfreys have insulted me with their actions, and the situation now demands that I must give it a much more…_tocco_ _personale_.

* * *

The flight back to the United States was fine as far as physical comfort went. SAI-AT's chairs and benches out front proved to be almost as good as the bed Dr. Freeman had installed in the back. However, neither Kim nor Ron got much sleep, even snuggled together as they were. Both kept thinking back over the mission, and wondering just what all they hadn't been told about this sitch.

Based on what they'd been able to piece together from what they'd heard, at some point in the past Dr. Sheridan Godfrey had made a sort of "deal with the devil" with the Risatti Crime Family to somehow further her research. However, at some point, she'd had a crisis of conscience and had refused to progress further. Then somehow her research had been turned on Sheila and her brothers, and the results were evidently connected to Team Go's surviving the comet crash that had granted them their powers. Add in that Global Justice was also after the "good" doctor's findings, and the details behind the sitch kept getting muddier and muddier. And based on the fact that Heathcliff and Sheridan were less than forthcoming in explaining things when Kim and Ron asked their questions a few hours into the flight, it didn't look like anyone was going to be in a talking mood if Team Possible asked for further details.

That left only one option available to Kim and Ron: Wade. And neither was exactly eager to pose the question. Of course, that question got put on the back burner pretty quickly when they arrived in Go City early Monday morning. After helping Heathcliff and Sheridan get settled a bit in the tower their children used as a base of operations, Sheila asked Kim her own particularly important question just moments before the two teens re-boarded SAI-AT…

"You want me to _WHAT_?" Kim replied as her mouth fell open and her eyes shot wide.

"Be my Maid of Honor when Andy and I get married in February," the mint-skinned woman replied with a smirking smile. "What, did Nerdlinger not tell you I'd asked him if you would consider it?"

The red-head frowned. "First of all, his name is Wade. And secondly: do I really look or sound like I had any clue about this prior to a few minutes ago?"

Sheila kept her smirking smile. "Hey, if not for you, Princess, me and Andy probably don't hook up. After all, you're one of the main reasons I stuck with him for so long. Trust me, I know I could have found better employment with a more successful villain, but the thrill of getting to pit my skills against yours so often was just too good a rush to let slip through my fingers. To tell the truth, I actually miss our scrapping and fighting a little bit."

Ron, who had up to the point been completely silent, got a frown of dread on his face. "KP, she's reverting back to her evil self! She's gonna use this to get the ultimate revenge by making you wear a completely hideous bridesmaid's dress!"

Sheila sighed. "Amp down there, Stoppable. For your information, I made sure those dresses looked good because I wanted as nice a wedding as I could put together in such a short amount of time." She turned back towards Kim. "Look, Kimmie, I'm not saying you're my only choice on this, but you are my first one. Like I said, you're one of the main reasons this wedding is even happening in the first place. Unfortunately, since you're only finding out now, I kind of don't have time to let you think about it. The wedding is Saturday, February 10th, so I really need an answer by New Year's Eve at the latest. It'll give me time to find a replacement if you decide not to do it."

Kim eyed her former nemesis skeptically. "Don't suppose I could see the dress first."

Sheila closed her eyes but smiled while she shook her head. "Wish I could, but the dresses are in the process of being custom made. Which, by the way, I only know your measurements from you wearing one of my jumpsuits at Taishu Falls."

Kim frowned. "I thought we agreed never to speak about that sitch," she said pointedly.

The mint-skinned woman laughed and smirked. "And I didn't, did I? No, I only told you where I learned your size."

Kim closed her eyes for a minute, then opened them and turned to Ron. "Looks like we've got plans for February 10th."

"Guess so," Ron replied. "Though I am curious why you chose to have it then. After all, you could have it on Valentine's Day if you wanted."

Sheila smiled. "Thought about that, but the boys are due the 21st, and it felt like we'd be cutting it too close if we did that. Don't want to go into labor in the middle of the ceremony after all."

Kim immediately grabbed Ron's wrist tightly and squeezed tighter in an effort to remind him not to mention that the two of them already knew Sheila was going to have fraternal twins, and that one would be a girl. But even she couldn't stop from smiling at the thought of the looks on Sheila and Andy's faces when they were hit with that little surprise curveball. As always, Sheila passed off the smile as her former rival being happy for her, and before noon the two teens were back in Middleton and SAI-AT was on his way back to Dr. Freeman.

And before they could get called away again, they had Wade put them in "off-duty" status and packed up the Sloth for the trip out to West Virginia. After saying goodbye to Kim's family and wishing them a Happy Holidays, the two finally got on the road, their first ever, non-mission solo road trip together beckoning. Only one family visit to go, and the whole mess Willie "the Weasel" Finkman had started would finally be put to rest. And if all went well, this one would take place without incident. But while Kim was nothing but hopeful, Ron couldn't shake his doubts. After all, the Stoppable clan was wear he had inherited the majority of his quirks and "essential Ronness" from.

* * *

a/n

The poll is still up, and right now it's a close race. Won't say what the leaders are so I don't influence the vote, but it's actually a bit surprising what's in the lead. And until they start their second semester, the voting will stay open.

And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)


	29. Chapter 29

A/N

Chapter 29 is up and running!

Finally getting back to a normal pace on this thing. Hoping that it holds and I can resume punching out the chapters on a regular basis. And without further ado, back to the story:

Kim and Ron's final trip to meet each others' families is on the horizon, but before it can get underway, a few surprise await on the open road.

A mistake is revealed, leading to a revelation that should have already been made...

Kim is introduced to part of the Stoppable clan, including one who has a reason to hold a grudge against her and Ron...

A dream encounter rattles Kim to her core, and brings out things she hasn't yet faced...

Yori has some time for her thoughts, but is then called to action...action that demands a price...

Finally, the actions for a certain group are revealed to have a purpose...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Before they could get called away again, they had Wade put them in "off-duty" status and packed up the Sloth for the trip out to West Virginia. After saying goodbye to Kim's family and wishing them a Happy Holidays, the two finally got on the road, their first ever, non-mission solo road trip together beckoning. Only one family visit to go, and the whole mess Willie "the Weasel" Finkman had started by forcing them to reveal their engagement would finally be put to rest. And if all went well, this one would take place without incident. But while Kim was nothing but hopeful, Ron couldn't shake his doubts. After all, the Stoppable clan was where he had inherited the majority of his quirks and "essential Ronness" from.

**…**  
**…**

One would think that since they had gone on so many missions together, Kim would know and be used to all of Ron's travel habits, and he to hers. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, as they discovered before they even made it past the Colorado/Kansas border. Before they had even taken I-70 across that state line, they already needed to deal with the fact that they both had a general idea how they were getting to Clarksburg, West Virginia, but that each had a different idea of how one navigated the route. The argument had started out small, but now it was to the point that even Rufus had dove into the back seat and buried his head under the pile of their spare mission clothes they kept in the vehicle in case they needed them just so he wouldn't have to listen to the debate.

"Ron, I'm telling you, the one in the passenger seat is the navigator," Kim said with an annoyed sigh and a tweaked look. "Which means if you insist on being the first to drive, I should be the one in charge of the map."

However, her fiancé shook his head. "KP, with the GPS on the Sloth and Wade's hook-up, we don't need a map."

Kim groaned in frustration. "Ron, you and I both know that GPS's aren't the miracle answer to getting directions—even if they are powered by something as world-spanning as Wade's network. For one thing, they don't take into account detours or construction. And you also have to have exact locations for them to give accurate directions. Besides, what if we have to make a roadside stop and the town is off the interstate a ways? You know my bladder's not the huge water reservoir with a high pressure dam holding it back that yours is."

Ron smiled. "Okay, how about a compromise? We use the GPS to tell us where we are, and the map to tell us where we're going."

The young woman grinned. "Sounds good to me. Oh, and uh, Ron…speaking of those needed rest stops, I think we might need to make one at the Kansas Visitor's Welcome Center."

**…**  
**…**

That evening as the sun began setting, another debate they hadn't expected popped up. Kim was all for stopping early for the night and getting an early start the next morning; Ron on the other hand wanted to go as far as they possibly could that evening and then leave still early but not at the crack of dawn the next day. The young man had even suggested driving through all night while switching off doing the driving, but his red-headed fiancé had quickly put her foot down.

"Ron, we need to get a good night's sleep so we're not exhausted when we meet your grandparents. And besides, you can't tell me you aren't at least a little worn out from our mission to Italy. Not to mention that I don't want to take the chance that we might run out of gas because we can't find an open station."

Ron sighed as he pulled around a big rig that was going far too slow for the interstate. "Alright, I'll agree that we need to stop for the night. But let's at least get to Salina, Kansas, before we start looking for a place. The farther we get tonight the less we have to drive tomorrow. And otherwise it'll take us three days to get to my grandparents instead of two."

Another frown formed on Kim's lips, accompanied by a yawn she tried hard and failed to fight back down. "Okay, but no farther than Topeka. If I fall asleep and wake up past there, there will be hell to pay. And I'm completely serious, Ron."

Ron nodded. "Works for me. To be honest, I'm just trying to at least get to Salina, and didn't plan on going past Junction City."

The red-head smiled. "Then Salina it is," she said with a stretch that made Ron wish he didn't have to focus so much on driving.

**…**  
**…**

The next morning started off sour yet again. The foul mood had actually started the night before when they checked into the hotel. Since there was just the two of them, Kim had of course naturally assumed they'd be sleeping in the same bed. However, when Ron emerged from brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he instead headed for the other bed and sleepily climbed in. Kim was about to say something when the sound of snoring started emanating from the bed seconds later, so instead she rolled her eyes in frustration and turned over to face the wall, grumbling to herself about clueless boyfriends. The next morning, her mood was driven even more south when Ron asked her about it.

"Seriously, KP, what's wrong?" he asked with concern as they took advantage of the continental breakfast buffet the hotel provided.

"Figure it out, Stoppable," she snapped as she fixed herself a plate of eggs and toast.

And Ron, being Ron, instead decided to let her calm down before broaching the subject again, resulting in her outlook deteriorating even further to the point that by the time they were packed and on the road, she was stewing something fierce. It wasn't until they reached Topeka that he finally got up the courage to ask her again, and her only response was to pull off the interstate for a rest stop at a Cow 'n' Chow. It wasn't that she necessarily liked the place (it actually rated lower on the fast food hierarchy for her than Bueno Nacho), but for some reason she felt like going there. Maybe it had something to with the fact that the place was the lowest of the low on Ron's list…

After they'd both grabbed a drink (Ron a bit reluctantly) and come back out to the car, the young man finally did the only thing he could think of and pulled her into a hug. At first she fought against it, but then she stopped. Once he sensed her calming down a bit, Ron held her back a little bit.

"Honestly, KP, I don't know what's going on. Why are you mad at me this morning?"

Kim sighed and looked off to the side. "Ron, do you even know what you did last night?"

However, he gently turned her chin back towards him. "No clue, actually. Did I do something to hurt you?"

She looked at him for a second before she realized he really didn't have any idea what he'd done. "Ron, did you even notice which bed I was in last night?"

"Which bed?" he replied confusedly. "Uh, KP, I didn't even know what room we were in until this morning. To be honest, I was probably more zombied-out than the boss from the end of Zombie Mayhem 4 from the time we got out of the car last night." He looked at her for a second. "Is that what this is about? Because I slept in a different bed?"

Try as she might, Kim couldn't muffle the giggle at the absurdity she now saw in the sitch. "Oh, Ronnie. I thought you were doing that out of spite or something. I mean, we both know your grandparents aren't going to let us sleep in the same room, and I just figured we needed to get in as much cuddle time as possible before we got to their house."

Now Ron looked at her like she'd suddenly grown two extra heads. "Uh, KP, this isn't my mom's family…it's my dad's."

"Meaning?" she said confusedly.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck a bit. "Let's just say that if we ever spent the night together and ended up making a mistake, Grandpap and Meemaw would probably be more accepting than my parents or yours. And to be honest, they would probably be the first ones to offer us a place to stay. Or at least, Meemaw would—Grandpap pretty much goes along with whatever Meemaw says."

Kim blinked in surprise. "Wait, are you saying…"

Ron nodded a little nervously. "I actually called them before we left, just to make sure so I could pack the right stuff to sleep in, and Grandpap confirmed it. Unless Mom and Dad have a problem with it, you and I are staying in the same room the whole time."

Kim gulped a little. "Uh, Ron, in that case, we might need to stop by a Club Banana before we get there. Otherwise, your family might get the ferociously wrong impression."

Ron looked at her for a second before the meaning behind what she had said dawned on him, and then he quickly began glancing around. "Uh, KP, do you mind if we also stop by a Bueno Nacho while we're here? I have a sudden need for a Slurpster Iceberg."

Kim grinned and planted a long, sensuous kiss on his lips. "Don't I know it," she replied with a wink. "After all, I'm pretty sure you don't have two mole rats in your pockets."

**…**  
**…**

Much later that day, several hours past sunset in fact, they were driving through the heart of Ohio. They'd actually expected to be at their destination by now, but more than a couple areas of major construction had slowed them down quite a bit. Ron's annoyance at the sitch had even led him to make the suggestion that the put the Sloth in flight mode and fly the rest away of the way there, something they had originally agreed not to do so that they could enjoy the time with just the three of them a bit longer.

Kim sighed as she tapped the wheel in frustration as they worked slowly through some night construction near Columbus. "If we could do that I would have when I was pressing for a bathroom break in that construction on the other side of Indianapolis. I swear, if another Lorwardian comes to Earth they better be immortal, cause I'm going to put them in a major world of hurt for what Warmonga and Warhok's invasion did to this planet."

"So why didn't you?" Ron asked quizzically as he poured the last of a box of Spark Rocks he'd been working on into his hand and handed a piece to Rufus. The final charge made his hair and Rufus's whiskers spark like strobe lights set on high.

"Why didn't I what?" she replied with a bite the young man knew wasn't directed at him but more at the frustration they were both feeling over the extended length of the trip.

"Put the Sloth in flight mode already?"

Another annoyed growl accompanied by an even more frustrated tap on the wheel as a fancy sports car cut her off when it pulled over into the single open lane at the last possible moment. "The Tweebs took the flight unit out so they could tune it and make some upgrades while they were out of school and we were in Venice. And they said they weren't yet done working on it when we left yesterday afternoon. Something about some wires being frayed out and some hydraulics that needed to be replaced."

Ron groaned. "Aww, man. You mean to tell me we can't fly at all?"

"Nope," she replied, but at his sudden fall in demeanor she got curious. "Ron, why is that such a big deal?"

"No reason," the young man replied nonchalantly, but she could still see the look of "busted" that remained in his eyes.

"Ron?" she intoned in a voice that showed he most definitely was.

"Umm…don't be mad, KP…"

"Depends on what you did," she answered in an annoyed tone.

"Umm…I told Shawn about the Sloth being able to fly so he'd lay off saying your parents gave you a clunker. And he said he'd only believe that was true if we took him flying this week."

Kim nearly scraped the divider as what he said caused a thought to ram itself to the front of her mind: the now nine-year-old terror known as Cousin Shawn was part of the Stoppable side of Ron's family! All it had taken had been a few minutes into her first meeting with the little hellion, and she had been quickly brought round to Ron's belief that the young boy had a trouble streak a mile wide.

"Okay, that settles it," she declared. "We're stopping in Columbus for the night, cause there is no way we're facing that terror with me looking like I just got off a trip where we we've been stuck in the car for nearly two days. I mean, I still can't believe your aunt had you use the Attitudinator to change him back into the heathen he is."

Shortly after the first Zorpox sitch, Ron had utilized the device that turned him evil to remove all the prankster tendencies from his younger cousin. It had been so effective that during the redo of the reception after Cousin Reuben's wedding Shawn had been a completely charming young gentleman. However, the boy's mother hadn't liked the change, and had nearly blown a gasket to get the pair to put her son back to normal.

Ron sighed. "That's Aunt Ruth for you. She's completely convinced he's always been a 'perfect little angel' no matter how much rotten stuff he does or how many mean jokes he plays."

"So not the case," the red-head replied. "And it's also why I think we need to get some rest before we meet up with them. And besides, we're close enough now that if we stop for the night we should still be able to make it to Clarksburg before noon tomorrow."

"So does this mean you're not mad at me for telling him about the Sloth being able to fly?" he said hopefully.

Kim eyed him a bit. "Oh, you still stepped in it, Buster," she got out before her mile-wide grin broke out and completely shattered her attempted serious demeanor. "And I think as punishment you owe me one patented Stoppable backrub before we fall asleep tonight."

"My lady is fair as always," he jokingly complained.

**…**  
**…**

The next morning started off much better than the day before, as the "'backrub for Kim' punishment" Ron had been sentenced to had ended up developing into a very hot make-out and caressing session before either one of them fell asleep in the other's arms. The glow from the personal time carried over so far that the morning desk clerk made a slightly unexpected comment as they were checking out.

"So how's the honeymoon going?" the college-aged girl said perkily as she pulled up their information.

"Oh, we're not married yet," Kim replied with a smile as she handed the girl her credit card.

"Emphasis on the 'yet'," Ron added with a large grin as he came up behind his fiancée and gave her a hidden, flirting pinch on her butt.

The move elicited a slight "Eeep" from Kim and set the normally calm and collected red-head to blushing furiously. Her reaction caused Ron to laugh while the young woman behind the desk merely shook her head in obvious amusement at them. As the couple walked out the door hand-in-hand, it was pretty clear to all that the young man would probably get payback for the flirt at a later time when he least expected it. Even so, the tightness of that hand-hold made it still obvious to those that looked that the two were pretty much inseparable. And for the remaining three hours of the drive, those ten fingers remained laced as much as it was physically possible.

Clarksburg itself was the type of town that had sprung up because it lay at a crossroads of major roadways, and it tended to show. The majority of the stores and shops seemed to be located on I-79, which ran almost through the middle of the city. There were also a few apparently abandoned coal mines, and the majority of the downtown area appeared devoted to old buildings that looked like they were probably at least fifty to seventy-five years old. The only really recently updated looking thing about the whole town was the FBI building, which Kim and Ron both knew held the agency's largest division, the Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Still, the town held the charm of being the type of place that was not too big and not too small, the type of community where it would be a nice and quiet place to raise a family.

Ron's grandparents actually lived northeast of the majority of town, back in an area that looked more like a forest than a city. In fact, it was pretty obvious despite the Sloth's top-of-the-line shocks when they made the transition from roads that were kept by the city to ones maintained by the county, and even more obvious when they ended up on what had to be the beginnings of the gravel drive that led to the home of Rebekah and David Stoppable. Rufus actually experienced the worst of the bouncing, as even in the safety of Ron's pocket he was tossed around quite a bit.

The house wasn't what one could call spectacular—in fact, of all the ones they'd seen while visiting their families it probably looked the poorest. However, it still beat out the Levinstein house in terms of upkeep, and it was obvious to Kim just from the look of the place that Ron's grandparents on this side were doing all they could to stay active in their retirement years. Her suspicions were further confirmed when she saw an elderly man that had to be David Stoppable joining Gene and another man in vigorously chopping up some wood.

"Looks like Grandpap hasn't lost a step," Ron commented as he pulled the vehicle up next to his mother's SUV.

Kim nodded as she exited the vehicle and looked around. The set-up was similar to the house Ron's other grandparents had, although the open area around the house was much larger and the trees didn't form so much a canopy as they did a sort of fence. While taking in the feel of the place, Kim got the distinct impression that both Gene and Jeanette Stoppable were the type who didn't like living in backwoods areas as much as their parents had. Of course, given the apparent sogginess of the ground due to the rain that had apparently passed the night before, she couldn't really say she blamed them. Especially if one considered how the moisture hung in the Appalachian air, making it seem colder than it was.

Speaking of Ron's mother, she came out at that moment with a smile on her face and Hana in her arms. "Ron, Kim, how was your trip?" she said as she embraced them both in one-arm hugs.

"Okay," Kim replied with a smile.

"Oh, you know, Mom. Same old, same old," Ron added.

Kim was surprised how much his response echoed the one he'd given her after his first trip to Yamanouchi. Looking back now, she wondered why she hadn't guessed then that the young man had experienced more on his trip to Japan than he'd let on, as even then she'd been able to tell when he wasn't being entirely truthful on something. However, she didn't have much time to think about it before Ron quickly pulled her down to the ground just seconds before a large, wobbling water balloon flew over their heads and splashed hard against the door of the Sloth. Turning her head to look in the direction from which it had come, she saw one Cousin Shawn grinning maniacally at them, his slingshot reacting to the attempt while Iggy the iguana sat there on his shoulders looking just as devious.

"Nice to see you, lovebirds," Ron's cousin greeted them with a mean-spirited smile, the way he said it making Kim dislike being called lovebirds with Ron for the first time in her life.

"Nice to see you too, Shawn," she replied with a forced smile as she sat up and dusted herself off. As she looked around she was pleasantly surprised that Ron had somehow pulled them both down on apparently the one dry spot in the entire front yard.

"Ruth," called a voice from just inside the house, "your son is at it again. Please come control him." A woman with nearly completely gray hair full of brownish-blonde streaks emerged, wiping her glasses before setting them on her nose. "Ronald, dear, how are you?"

"Hey, Meemaw," the young man called with a smile as he helped Kim to her feet. "We're doing fine. By the way this is Kim, my fiancée. Kim, this is my grandmother, Rebekah Stoppable. But most of us call her 'Meemaw'."

The woman held out a barely wrinkled hand. "Pleasure to meet you, young lady. If my memory remains sharp and correct, you were the young woman who came with my grandson to Reuben's wedding, correct?"

Kim smiled. "Yes, Ma'am, that was me."

Rebekah grinned and leaned in to whisper, "Hopefully we won't see my grandson with blue skin anytime soon, correct?"

The red-head stifled a giggle. "No Ma'am, that was just a one-time thing that we cleared up pretty quickly."

The older woman nodded. "Had something to do with that helmet Ronald used on Shawn, I'll wager. Still wish my daughter had let you keep him that way."

An annoyed huff issued from behind her. "Mother, I thought you agreed with me that it was wrong for Ronald to put my precious little Shawnie through that."

Behind Ron's grandmother emerged a woman who looked more like Ron's mother than his father, although it was still easy to tell she was Gene's sister. She was skinny as a rail, and from her clean and kept-together appearance it was hard to tell she could be the mother of the terror known as Cousin Shawn. For reasons she couldn't explain, Kim felt an almost immediate…something for the woman. It might have been _dislike_, or it could have been _bewilderment_ that Aunt Ruth couldn't see what a problem her son was. Whatever it was, the red-head immediately pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind as she greeted the woman.

"Nice to see you again, Aunt Ruth," she said with a smile.

"I suppose so," Ron's aunt replied. "Though I wonder about the reasons behind why my nephew decided to bring you along. After all, we already know about your engagement. Perhaps the reason you ventured out here is that you have similar news to what everyone suspects Reuben and Alexis are going to be revealing this week."

The man who had been chopping wood with Ron's father and grandfather came up to them at that moment. "Oh, lay off them, Ruthie. You and I both know Ron would be upfront about something like that."

Aunt Ruth turned towards the man. "Gabriel, just because you believe Ronald can do no wrong, that doesn't mean it's true. Besides, you're hardly the good role model on the subject. It's just not right for a man who's almost forty to be single. Why you're not even dating."

Uncle Gabriel merely laughed and winked at Kim and Ron. "Hey, I don't have the luck Ron has with the ladies, and I didn't have the good fortune to basically grow-up with the woman I'm supposed to be with. Besides, I like my bachelor's life just fine. After all, I still get to set my own schedule, wardrobe, and everything. And if I want to go out with a lady friend, I can just go without having to make sure it's alright with someone else."

"Well, be that as it may," Meemaw replied with a smile, "I for one am glad Ron found someone to settle down with. Though I must admit I am curious why you two got engaged so young."

"Young?" sounded a deep voice from behind her. "They aren't too young."

Kim turned towards the voice, and noticed that the elderly gentleman had joined them. His smile reminded her of a goofy grin she liked so much, and on his cheeks were a pair of freckle triangles that were nearly echoed on the young man standing next to her. She smiled as he nodded at her with a twinkling in his eyes.

"Not unless we were too young when I proposed to you, Becky," he added with a kiss to the side of his wife's head. "How old were we? Sixteen? Seventeen?"

Ron's grandmother laughed and shook her head. "I was sixteen and you were eighteen. And that may have been when you first asked me, but you didn't actually make it official with an engagement ring for another six years. And I'd be willing to bet you'd have waited longer if you could have."

"Hey, coal miner's don't make the large money, you know that," Grandpap remarked defensively.

The way he said it made Kim sure it would have come out of Ron's mouth the exact same way. The young man may have looked a lot like his maternal grandfather, but it was becoming rapidly clear to the red-head that he took more after David Stoppable than Ben Levinstein. This was further confirmed at lunch around an hour later when both grandfather and grandson plowed through their food in identical fashion. And Kim couldn't help but notice that Rebekah Stoppable regarded her husband's eating habits with the same annoyed yet amused stare that she herself often gave out towards Ron's table manners.

During the meal, the red-head was introduced to the other members of the Stoppable clan that had already arrived. She was surprised to learn that Shawn actually had an older sister, Sara, who unlike her younger brother actually acted the angel—though apparently her parents gave her no credit for it. Kim was also introduced to the two's father, Shawn Goldman, Sr., a red-headed man with a chinstrap beard who seemed almost completely passive when it came to parenting and appeared content to let his wife be in charge. It was a view Kim was determined she would never allow Ron to follow.

Dinner that night explained another one of Ron's habits when his grandparents declared it a "scrounging night". As Kim learned, that meant that if you wanted something that had to be cooked, you cooked it yourself. Now the red-head understood why her fiancé would occasionally go raiding the fridge for snackage or simply for something to chew on instead of actually eating a full meal. Despite that declaration, however, tonight Ron actually took over the kitchen and ended up making everyone a very nice roasted chicken feast. Kim grinned at her fiancée's initiative as the family sat down to eat, and smiled as she enjoyed the bird. Although she did find herself slightly surprised at a declaration that was made…

"So Ronald, have you decided what the big feast is going to be?" Ron's grandmother said as she set down the drumstick she was working on. "Personally, I would love to have that ham dish you prepared a few years ago again."

Kim figured she probably picked up a very confused look, as David Stoppable smiled at her. "Problems there, Kim?"

The young woman quickly swallowed the bite that was waiting in her mouth. "No, Sir. I just thought that…well…since you're Reform Jewish…"

"That we'd be eating kosher?" Uncle Gabe finished for her, his dirty-blonde hair flopping a bit as he tilted his head to the side. "Honestly, with this family it really depends on the mood. We do observe it some times, but other times we don't. To most of us, what you eat isn't nearly as important as what you believe. And there are members of the Reform Jewish faith who, like us, feel that most of what kosher represents can be followed in other aspects of life. Really, the most important thing isn't what you eat but how you act." As if for emphasis, he elicited a loud BURP! right at that moment, and smiled as he leaned back.

"Speaking of how you act," Rebekah said with a frown, "Gabriel Levi, that is not acceptable table manners and you know it. It's really no wonder you haven't yet found a woman to settle down with."

"In some parts of the world it is," he replied with a smile. "There are places where it's considered rude if you don't compliment the chef with a burp."

Aunt Ruth rolled her eyes. "Gabe, we all know you work for the FBI and have all the customs training for twenty-five different cultures."

Gene Stoppable also chimed in. "Not to mention having been to almost every country on the planet, including some that no longer exist."

"Don't forget the fact that I speak fifteen languages and forty regional dialects," he said with a grin.

Kim leaned over and whispered to Ron, "You didn't tell me you were related to Will Du."

Ron smiled. "Trust me—he's just getting warmed up."

Uncle Gabe continued, his grin even wider. "And I'll bet I could teach Mr. Ultimate Monkey Master here a few things about his Tai Sheng Pek Kwar."

Ron's grandfather held up a hand. "Okay, Gabe, you made your point. But that's enough talk about work. I want to hear the story of how our Ronald proposed to Kimberly."

Kim grinned as Ron told his grandparents about the Friday after her birthday. It was probably the hundredth time she'd heard it (about ninety percent of those occurring after Willie Finkman had outed them), but each time it somehow managed to take her back to that magical night. As Ron related the story, she could almost hear the band at Chez Couteaux playing the instrumental version of "Could It Be", and could clearly see just how handsome her man had looked that night. When he got to the part about the actual asking, she couldn't quite contain it all, and her eyes got a little moist. As if on cue, Ron held up a Kleenex for her without missing a beat in the tale, and her smile grew to the point it actually hurt her cheeks a little—though it still didn't diminish in the least.

"Wow," remarked an enraptured Sara as her cousin finished. "I hope I find someone as romantic as that."

"Yeah right," Shawn retorted. "That's probably the sappiest, cheesiest thing I've ever heard of. If that's all it took to get her to say yes, it's no surprise she's with a dork like you."

Kim blinked a few times, and somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear a venomously velvety voice encouraging her to reach out and slap the little punk across the room. It really wasn't that strong an urge, but just the fact that it was there surprised the red-head in a way she couldn't explain. Glancing over at Ron, she saw him merely smiling…although she also noticed the faintest glimmer of blue to his brown eyes. Quickly she reached over and grasped his hand, and was thankful that the slight tint disappeared. The last thing they needed was for Ron to unleash his MMP against his younger and smaller cousin, no matter how much the little terror might deserve it.

She took a few deep breaths, and was about to say something when Gene beat her to the punch.

"You know, Shawn," he said with a twinkle in his eye and a knowing smile, "Ronald used to feel the same way about girls with the exception of Kimberly. So did Reuben, Joey, and Caleb. You just haven't yet met the girl who makes you feel like you could do anything."

"And I won't neither," Shawn growled. "The only thing girls are good for is targets for my slingshot or scare victims for Iggy."

Sara laughed. "Oh yeah? What about Lisa?"

Shawn frowned but didn't reply, instead folding his arms and contorting his face into a grump. The rest of those at the table laughed a bit, all of them wondering just how much of an effect this girl could be having for the normally talkative-barbs-and-jabs Shawn to have shut up so completely. In fact, he didn't say anything for the rest of the evening, and the family ended up heading to bed without much incident. Kim and Ron found themselves staying in a guest room with a worn yet cozy feather bed. As they got ready, she turned towards him and placed her head on his back.

"Think the whole week's going to go like this?" she smiled contentedly.

Ron couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. "Maybe. Though I'm hoping I won't be tempted to bust out the Mad Fu skills on Shawn again."

Kim slowly turned him to face her and placed a light kiss on his lips. "You know, you weren't the only one tempted that direction. I think I heard Kigo telling me to do something to him as well."

"Strange," Ron replied as he pulled back the covers for them. "To tell you the truth, it was more Zorpox trying to get me to use the Monkey Power than doing it myself."

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?" Kim replied as she helped him fold down the comforter. "First time Zorpox showed up was the time you introduced me to Cousin Shawn, and now he only has to say something for us both to hear our darker sides."

"Yeah. Makes you wonder what would happen if he became one of our major villains in a few years.

Kim smiled a little as she worked her neck a bit. "Yeah, but I don't think we've got anything to worry about. Shawn's not evil."

"'High school evil' versus 'real evil' again, huh?"

Kim stared at him for a second as she slid under the covers before it dawned on her what he was referring to. "To be honest, I'd be more tempted to kick Bonnie biscuit than Shawn biscuit. He's more…"

"Annoying evil?" Ron supplied with a grin as he climbed in and pulled her close.

"Close," she replied with a matching grin. "I'd say Shawn to Bonnie is like Lucre to Dementor."

Ron shook his head. "Gotta disagree with you there, KP. I put it more like Gill to Dementor."

Kim giggled and snuggled up to him. "Well, whatever he is, I'm sure we can handle it."

Ron smiled and kissed her, and soon they were both fast asleep and heading for dreamland.

**…**  
**…**

_"You really thought you could get rid of me that easily?" the venomous velvet voice called out across the void._

_ "No," replied Kim. "But I also know what it takes to keep you inside, Kigo."_

_ "Really, now," the dark side of her personality taunted. "You can't tell me you didn't want to knock that little brat through the wall."_

_ "Of course I wanted to. But the fact that I didn't makes all the difference."_

_ "Keep telling yourself that, Kimmie. After all, it's your 'self-control' that keeps me locked up, right?"_

_ "Exactly."_

_ "But then what do you call it when you want to let out your controlling side?"_

_ "What are you talking about?"_

_ "You know, I'm not just your violent side. I'm also the part of you that takes command of things and turns them to your advantage. Like all this wanting Ron to embrace his Mystical Monkey Power."_

_ "That's got nothing to do with me. I want him to do that so he can be safer, not so it makes me better."_

_ "Doesn't it, Kimmie? Be honest with yourself—are you really doing it for his benefit? Or is there something there for you as well?"_

_ "What are you getting at, Kigo? Cause right now you make as much sense as some of those sci-fi shows Cousin Larry swears by."_

_ "If Ron makes himself better through your influence, it makes you look better, right? And then people will love you even more."_

_ "THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!"_

_ "Careful, Kimmie. You're anger is showing."_

**…**  
**…**

Kim awoke with a start, her chest heaving and a cold sweat on her brow. It had just been a dream, but there was no denying that Kigo had made some points the young woman couldn't deny. Yes, she wanted Ron to embrace more of his skills so he would be safer on missions, but could she honestly tell herself that there wasn't the smallest part of her that wanted to take advantage of his growing abilities? As she lay there wrapped in Ron's arms while they lay in a bed in his grandparents' house, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she had been pushing him for her own benefit. After all, if he were more of an asset on missions instead of a hindrance…

_Stop that_, she berated herself. _Ron's not a hindrance…and he never has been. And missions where you've tried to do things alone you nearly got the both of you seriously injured or killed. Or at the very least you came ferociously close to failing._

But even that little pep talk wouldn't sweep the thoughts aside. Glancing over the slow rise and fall of Ron's chest at the clock, she noted that it was just barely 7:00 AM, meaning 5:00 AM back home. Kim wanted to just lay there and get back to sleep, to erase the tiredness she still felt from the long drive, but something wouldn't let her. After another half hour of lying there with her head on her love's shoulder, she finally couldn't take it any longer. Quietly so as not to disturb Ron's continuing slumber, Kim pulled herself gently out of his embrace and out of the bed. Softly she padded over to her suitcase, pulled out her workout clothes, and changed into them. What she needed right now was time to think, alone and away from Ron, and the charge from a workout would do her good.

As she quietly padded out and towards the door, she could hear the television on in the living room. There she found Ron's Uncle Gabe, fully dressed and watching a news program about something happening over in the Middle East.

"Morning, Kimberly. Expected you and Ron to be asleep for another three hours at least."

Kim smiled. "Ron is, but I…let's just say I'm not glad I woke up when I did."

"Bad dream, huh?" Gabe replied with a sympathetic smile.

"How…?"

"Can still see the cold sweat on your forehead. Working for the Bureau has made me pretty good at reading people."

"Oh," was the only reply she could come up with. "You know, Ron never told me he had a relative working over there. Mind if I ask what you do?"

The older man shook his head. "Sorry, can't tell you that. Although I can tell you that I used to be a field agent for them until I hurt my leg. After that they gave me two options: retire or take a desk job. So I took the desk job."

"Sounds harsh."

Uncle Gabe laughed quietly. "Yeah, but it's the life of an agent. You're only as useful as they perceive you to be. Once that's done, you can either go quietly or fight. Me, I chose to fight."

Kim smiled. "I get what you mean. I mean, Ron and I have looked at turning our mission work into careers as agents with Global Justice, but lately they've done some things that make both of us question whether that's the path for us."

A nod. "Well, if you're going to go that route, G.J.'s the definite preferred way to go. To be honest, I petitioned to join them a while back, but that was before Betty Director was the head. As proud as I would have been to be a member then, I'd be even more so now that she's made them respectable. As a matter of fact, if I had to guess I'd say that Dr. Leader wouldn't have even come close to letting you two do what you do."

"Dr. Leader?" Kim replied. "Oh, you mean the guy before Betty. I've heard a few things about him, but nothing too bad. Though it does sound like I wouldn't have liked him very much."

"Don't think you would have. I know Ron wouldn't have."

With that, he turned back towards the television and fell silent again. As Kim rose from her seat, she felt the need for a workout even stronger. As she headed out the door for her run, a million thoughts were pelting her mind, most of them concerned with either her dream or with Dr. Director and Global Justice. The run felt good, but there was still something kicking around in the back of her mind. After about a half-mile, she came to a bit of a clearing, and found a large tree that had been split and felled by a lighting strike. Glancing at it for a second, she smiled.

_Perfect._

Around an hour later, Ron showed up, having contacted Wade to get a fix on her. By that time, there were several cracks in the fallen part of the timber, and numerous branches had been hacked off by Kim's strikes. Said person was currently rapidly working up a sweat as she went after the still standing trunk like it was a kung fu training dummy. All the bark had already been stripped off by her blows, and there was a definite impression about chest height from numerous kicks and punches. As he watched her work, Ron could tell that the best thing he could do at the moment was not disturb her. However, he could also tell that there was something bugging her, something she wanted to talk about but for some reason wouldn't. He continued to watch her, and found himself enamored at her focus…that is until he saw that her knuckles were starting to bleed from hitting the tree so much.

"Hey, KP, easy!" he called as he came up to her.

She glanced at him, but instead of a smile she was frowning, a frown that only deepened when she apparently realized who he was.

"What's wrong?" the young man said as he approached

Instead of replying, she turned back to the tree and began punching even more furiously. If she kept going like this, the softened part she'd been focusing on was going to be mush soon.

"KP?" he asked cautiously as he came up next to her.

"Don't, Ron," she said quickly, but not quick enough that he didn't notice the quivering in her voice.

Slowly, he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. At first she fought it and tried to continue her attacks on the trunk, but after only a few minutes she finally calmed down. It was then that she apparently realized what she'd been doing to her knuckles, as she began shaking them slightly and lightly blowing on them. Ron, who when Wade had pinpointed Kim's location in the woods had grabbed an emergency kit in case he found his love in trouble, calmly guided her towards a stump and had her sit down gently. He then opened the kit and began softly wrapping her hands in bandages.

She smiled, wondering if he would ask what was on her mind, but he stayed silent, seemingly telling her that he understood this was something she needed to figure out before she could talk about it. Finally, when he was done wrapping her hands (and her fingers looked like they belonged to a mummy), he kissed her gently on the cheek, and she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Ron, do you ever regret asking me to marry you?"

The young man's eyes went wide for a second before he answered. "Never, KP. Why would you think I do?"

She looked at the ground. "Ron, I'm not perfect. I mean I have flaws, you know."

Ron closed the kit and sat down next to her on the stump. "KP, I know you do, but that's part of what makes you the perfect girl to me."

Kim glanced up into his eyes. "Ron, I'm serious here. I mean, there are definite things about myself I don't like."

"Like what?" he said calmly.

"Like…like…" she started, unsure of where to start. "Like…how I used to laugh at some of the things you did when we first started missions."

The blonde smiled. "Well, you have to admit some of what I did then was pretty funny."

"No, not with you. _At_ you," she said with a shamed frown. "Ron, it took real courage to come with me, and I was laughing at you. What kind of person does that make me if I'm laughing at someone who's putting his life on the line to help me fight dangerous people?"

Ron kept his smile. "Makes you human, KP. Sometimes we just laugh even if it makes us feel bad later—we just can't help it."

However, Kim didn't return the mirth. "Ron…there's other stuff too…stuff like…"

He silenced her with a finger on her lips. "KP, I know all of it and I still love you. And it's not because of it or in spite of it. It's because it makes you who you are, and I love you as a whole person. Not just this part that I like or that part I don't, but all of who you are. And nothing is going to change that if I can help it in any way, shape, or form. Like or not, I love you."

For the first time since she'd woken up from her nightmare, Kim smiled a real smile. Not a small one of satisfaction or a slight one of understanding, but a full, out-and-out toothy grin. "Ronnie, I really don't deserve you," she said as she leaned against his shoulder.

Ron laughed and kissed her forehead. "And I've told you a million times you've got that backwards, KP."

* * *

Yori couldn't help but shiver against the crisp, cold, late December winds blowing across the moonlit courtyard of the Yamanouchi School. As she tightened the wrists on her ninja gi to keep more of her body heat contained, she glanced cautiously at the maple marking the current resting place of the Dark Temple of the Yono. She still vividly remembered the night the Dark Destroyer had come to Yamanouchi, as well as the insane look on Monkey Fist's face as joined the Yono's attack. And the young kunoichi also clearly remembered the look of apparent terror on the villain's face as he became like stone and became frozen in time, following the Path of the Yono as he had agreed to. Now, nearly a year later, it was apparently possible that the crazed simian-man could return, and the only thing that could stop it would be the efforts of Team Possible, herself, and Hirotaka.

Even Sensei had said a few weeks earlier that he himself would not be able to help them. Yori suspected that her teacher in the art of ninjitsu knew more than he had so far let on, but she also knew from his teachings that too much information received too quickly could spoil a victory. Still, it unnerved her to think that the person she trusted most to be truthful with her was withholding information that might be vital. Not even Stoppable-san held as much of her trust as Sensei did, and him she trusted with her life…among other things.

Although she had accepted that Kim Possible was the one meant to be with Stoppable-san, Yori still could not remove the feelings she felt for the American blonde. Even recent feelings for Hirotaka, growing affections that had surprised her with their forcefulness, could not seem to overcome the way her heart still saw Ron. For though she had told him, "I believe my heart remains intact," it had been harder than she'd expected to hear him say that he was with the red-headed cheerleader who had at one time not fully respected him as a great warrior—at least not in the way Yori had always seen him. What she had told Hirotaka that summer had been true, that if she had heard the news earlier than she had, she would not have taken it with the grace and honor expected of her. Indeed, Sensei had been wise to send her on her month-long graduation solitude when he had, as it gave her the time she needed to come to terms with Ron choosing to be with Kim over her.

And yet, there had been other things to consider during the mediations of her sojourn as well. Things like why she always felt more at home here at Yamanouchi no matter where she went, or why she had always felt a deeper connection to Sensei than the other students. And more curious still, why did she feel such a great joy whenever she saw Hana again, and such an unexplainable sorrow when the little girl was not around her? For all Yori knew, the only connection she had to Ron's adoptive sister was that both were orphans who had been left to the care of Yamanouchi, particularly to Master Sensei. And yet, every time she saw Hana it caused a feeling of…closeness she could not explain. The only thing that she could compare it to would be her connection to her teacher, but the source of the depths of that relationship eluded Yori as well.

However, at that moment, she was jarred from her thoughts by a sight she didn't want—three monkey ninjas scraping at the dirt in the shadows of the maple! Realizing she didn't have time to raise an alarm, she quickly pulled out a pair of kunai knives and dashed in, hoping at the very least to subdue at least one of them…

**…**  
**…**

Sensei sat up from his sleeping mat quickly when he heard the crashing sounds of a battle coming from the courtyard! His sleep had been filled with ominous signs of foreboding events, but all of that was wiped away as he rushed out the door of his room, heading for the main part of the Yamanouchi School. Only one nighttime guard had been given permission to engage without first raising an alarm, and he now feared for her safety. Along the way, he picked up a companion, but could not tell who it was in the dim light. Rushing out into the open air, he had to duck as first one and then a second kunai knife flew through the air towards him and embedded themselves in the wood, each dripping with what he hoped was not the blood of his student. He then saw nine monkey ninjas fleeing over the wall, all of them with tattered robes and five of them limping with serious injuries. Sensei then fixed his eyes at the maple he knew they were running from—just in time to see the figure that had been supporting her weight with a hand against the tree collapse to the ground.

Immediately he dashed over, the person who had joined him in the hallway hot on his trail. One look at that red headband confirmed who it was, and he gently rolled her over and checked her breathing. Her eyes were closed and the breaths were labored, but Yori appeared to have sustained no serious injuries beyond a broken leg, some deep scratch marks on her arms and legs, and a few large bruises. One of her signature fighting fans lay useless a few feet away, a pair of ghastly rips dividing it in thirds. The other was still clasped in her hand, as though even now she was fighting against odds she had not expected. However, despite the unevenness of the numbers, she had apparently fought well. Looking at her, Sensei felt a great swelling of pride.

"Yori. Can you hear me?" he said gently but firmly.

The young woman's eyes fluttered open but remained unfocused, and she uttered a single phrase: "I'm fine…Hirotaka." Then she passed out again, and her head lolled off to the side.

Assured by the small amount of reaction that his student would recover from her injuries, Sensei nodded amusedly. It was then he noticed the person who had joined him, someone who had ended up standing where Yori could not possibly have seen him during her few seconds of consciousness. He nodded to the young man, and Hirotaka quickly picked up his fellow ninja and rushed her to the medical wing. As he watched them go, the wizened teacher couldn't help but silently laugh at the situation that was developing between his two top students. He knew Yori still held feelings for Stoppable-san, but if what had just taken place was any indication, other focuses of affection were starting to contend with those feelings in the young kunoichi's heart.

Turning back towards the maple, he looked carefully at the ground beneath it. But as he did so, his smile slowly turned to a frown.

"So," he said to no one as he stroked his beard in thought, "that is why they keep returning. It is as I feared then. If they are successful in this attempt, the Monkey Master will face a true test of his abilities."

* * *

Shortly after they returned to his grandparents' house, Ron had re-bandaged Kim's hands properly, adding some healing ointment underneath. She would have to be careful, but it appeared there would be no permanent damage to the skin. It also boded well for her that they had instructed Wade to pull them off-duty for the duration of the visit with his family, because she would need the time to recover to the point she would be able to hit something without wincing. As Ron put away the bandages, both Kimmunicators began beeping in urgency.

"What up, Wade?" Ron replied first, not needing to cringe to activate his.

"Bad news, guys," the tech genius said, an unmistakable dread entering his voice. "Hirotaka just called, and he told me that the Yamanouchi School was attacked by a squad of monkey ninjas less than an hour ago. Yori fought them off but she got hurt pretty badly. Hirotaka also said that Sensei now knows why they keep coming back."

"Does that mean we know fully what they're after?" Kim asked with a hopeful determination. She was tired of all this playing defense to the likes of Bates and D.N. Amy.

Wade frowned. "I'm afraid we do, and it's not good news, guys."

A very pregnant and tense pause passed as Kim and Ron waited for the full update. Finally, Ron couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Wade, what are they after?"

The young man looked like he didn't really want to reveal what he knew, but he still started speaking again. "Turns out they're not just after Rufus or Sensei. They're after both of them. And the dirt they keep collecting relates to the Dark Temple of the Yono."

Kim sighed with annoyance. "Wade, we already knew all that. What are you so afraid of telling us?"

* * *

a/n

I know this things getting long, guys, but please bear with me. I promise it does have an ending, and that things are about to start picking up.

And speaking of picking up, the poll I put up on my author page has gotten such a heavy and varied response, I'm almost tempted to send the voting to Round Two! I really appreciate all the input, and really like that so many of you have responded.

And of course, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)


	30. Chapter 30

A/N

Chapter 30 is up and running!

Wade reveals what he suspects, and it hits a lot closer to home than anyone wanted.

Kim and Ron go through family interrogations, and both take something extra away from it.

Bates and D.N. Amy revel in the progress of their plans, and it turns out things might not be as our heroes suspect...

Christmas Eve brings a special moment for Kim and Ron.

Sheila reflects on a talk with her mother, and the secret Dr. Sheridan Godfrey has been hiding is finally revealed!

Christmas Day brings laughs and family time, including a particularly..._interesting_ sitch and the revealing of a few surprises.

Finally, on the return home to Middleton, Kim finally gets some answers on an arising problem.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

A very pregnant and tense pause passed as Kim and Ron waited for the full update. Finally, Ron couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Wade, what are they after?"

The young man looked like he didn't really want to reveal what he knew, but he still started speaking again. "Turns out they're not just after Rufus or Sensei. They're after both of them."

Kim sighed with annoyance. "Wade, we already knew that. What aren't you telling us?"

Wade frowned and sighed. "Alright, this is all just speculation, and I can't confirm anything yet. But considering everything we know, what if there's a third target as well?"

Ron shook his head. "Wade, you're connecting the dots a little fast here."

However, Kim had already been doing a little connecting of her own trying to figure out all the details of the villains' plot, a habit she'd picked up after the Lil' Diablos mission caught her off guard. Now, she examined even the small moves a villain might make, trying to figure out what they were up to. And in doing so with this particular sitch, a possibility had started to put itself out there in the red-head's mind—although she had figured there was no way Bates and D.N. Amy would be so callous as to stoop that low. But with Wade apparently thinking along the same lines her own logic had been taking her, Kim no longer felt completely confident about that assumption.

"Wade, are you heading the direction I think you're heading with this?" she said worriedly.

"Probably, Kim," he replied with equal concern to his voice. "I mean there is a connection to Monkey Fist there."

"But to pull something like that…I have a hard time believing those two could be that heartless."

Ron scratched his head as he looked back and forth between Kim and the Kimmunicator. "What are you two talking about?"

Wade's face took on more worry. "Should you tell him or should I, Kim?"

Kim sighed. "I'll do it," she said in a tone that made it clear she didn't really want to.

"What?" Ron said in exasperation, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "What's the big secret?"

Kim motioned for him to follow her, and they headed into the room they were sharing. If she was going to tell him what they suspected, she didn't want anyone else to hear it. After all, she didn't want to be responsible for a panic if they were wrong. And she was even more wary of one if they were right. Once inside the room she shut the door, and brought Ron to sit next to her on the bed. The entire time, Wade's face stayed on the Kimmunicators, a look of concern to match Kim's own look on his face.

"Ron," she began softly, "neither me nor Wade like this, but there's a possibility those two are after someone else in addition to Rufus and Sensei. Someone both you and me are really close to."

The blonde shut his eyes and shook his head in frustration, putting his hands to his temples for a second before quickly removing them. "Will you two quit dodging around the subject and just tell me who it is already?" he said louder than normal, his rising aggravation giving his voice a sharp yet unintended edge.

Kim took a deep breath. "Ron, we think it's possible they might be after Hana as well."

Ron's hands slowly came away from his head, and his eyes fluttered open like he was waking up from a dream. He looked at his girlfriend and the tech genius on his Kimmunicator blankly for a minute, the comprehension of what Kim had said slowly sinking in. For a moment he looked like he wasn't breathing, but then the air all came out in one big whooshing sound. He blinked a few times, and cocked his head at an odd angle. When he got up and started walking back and forth next to the bed, Kim remained seated on the bed, watching him with a concerned and sympathetic worry in her eyes. Finally, after several minutes of pacing he turned towards her.

"What do they want with my little sister?" he said with a tone that was both sharp and sounded like a little boy lost. "I mean, when Monkey Fist mentioned the Han, we made the connection then. But what do they want with her now?"

Kim shrugged and shook her head slightly. "We don't know."

The young man's eyes hardened. "Don't give me that!" he snapped. "Both of you have a reason for thinking they want her. Now tell me what that reason is!"

Kim frowned, and returned his look with a fierce determination equal to his hardness—a look also mixed with hurt that the blonde didn't fail to miss. "That's just it, Ron! That's why we're only speculating, because we don't have a good reason to give! It's just that they keep going back to Yamanouchi and digging up dirt from where the Dark Temple of the Yono is buried, and Hana is connected to the Yono. That's all there is."

Despite her defenses, Ron's look of disgust deepened. "Oh, I get it. You don't want to give me all the information because you're afraid I'll freak out and go after them."

Rufus, who had actually been awake and listening intently to the conversation, popped out of the young man's pocket and looked up at his owner with a disapproving look. "Hey!" he chittered in a voice laced with scolding tone.

"RON!" Wade's voice cut in sharply from both Kimmunicators, giving it a stereo effect and making it that much more clearly heard. "We're not saying that at all! What Kim just told you is the truth—we really don't have any other reason to suspect they want Hana beyond her connection to the Yono."

The young man took a deep breath, and leaned hard against the wall, glancing down at his shoes for a moment. However, the frown didn't leave his face. "Okay, so say that they are after Rufus, Sensei, _and_ Hana. What do they want with all three? Cause by my understanding they're only going to need two for those two rituals."

Kim put her hand to her chin. "Well, let's focus on what we know first. We know that Rufus is the one needed for 'The Ritual of Living Stone', because he's the one who possesses the Mystical Monkey Power but isn't a master of it. And beyond that…we've unfortunately got nothing. Right, Wade?"

"Exactly," the tech genius replied in a much calmer tone than his outburst a few minutes ago. "For 'The Ritual of Living Stone', I found a ton of information because it represents a way to animate statues and a lot of different people have researched it over time all over the world. But no matter how much digging I've done, I'm only able to find one reference to the 'Monkey's Baton' one, mainly because according to the text it's only ever been used in the lost kingdom of Chimpanzania. But that's most likely because you need the Vizier's Dagger to complete it, which makes it not that common in ancient texts."

Ron kicked at the floor with his foot. "And of course there's tons of sculptures walking around," he spat.

More disapproving chittering issued from the mole rat riding in his pocket. At the same time a red-head blinked a few times at the poison behind the verbal barb.

"Ron, this isn't helping!" Kim snapped harshly, the hurt in her voice even more evident. "And besides, there are tons of myths and legends of animated statues all throughout history! I know Dr. Hyde mentioned at least a dozen in my Civilizations class alone. And they _all_ use different methods—this just _happens_ to be the one that's connected to the Mystical Monkey Power."

There was a sudden knock at the door that caused them all to jump a little bit, as if a villain were about to burst in.

"Ronald? Kimberly? Is everything okay in there?" Gene Stoppable called through the door.

Kim glared meaningfully at her boyfriend before she forced herself to put on a smiling face and casually open the door. "Yes, Mr. S. We were just talking about a mission we've got coming up, and we got a little worked up about it. No problems." She hoped he couldn't see the concern she was trying to hide.

Ron's dad smiled, apparently satisfied with the explanation. "Okay then. Well finish it up quickly. We just got a phone call, and Uncle Jared and his family will be here soon. And apparently Reuben and Alexis aren't very far behind them."

With that, he closed the door, and Kim turned towards Ron, who had moved to sit on the bed, his hands on his forehead. She was tempted to just let him sit and stew for a bit in the hopes that he'd calm down, but she also knew that with his relatives' imminent arrival they didn't have time for that. Determinedly, she walked over and knelt down in front of him, her hands placed firmly on his knees. Although he shifted, he didn't attempt to break the contact.

"Listen, Ron. I told you we're weren't going to let them hurt anyone, and that includes Hana as well. After all, we're going to need a flower girl at our wedding, and if it's all the same to you, I'd rather it not be one of your cousins. And since I don't have any little girl cousins, I'd really like if it were Hana."

Ron looked up at her, a strange and unexpected smile on his face. "Kind of an odd reason to want to save my little sister, KP."

Kim shrugged and grinned. "Hey, what can I tell you? I can't really put into words just how much I really like and care about Hana, so I kind of panicked and just said what I could think of on the spot."

The young man smiled. "Yeah, I think I understand that. Hey, sorry I yelled. I just want this whole thing over with, and it seems every time we turn around it gets more complicated and further from being wrapped up."

The red-head's grin stretched a little wider, and she placed one bandaged hand softly on his cheek. "Ron, if I were in your position, I'd probably feel the same way you do. Besides, other than last year your family never really got targeted by our villains, so you haven't had to deal with this before. Just remember that both me and Wade are on your side on this. And that with all of us working together we will find a way to beat them."

"She's right, Ron," Wade's voice emerged from the Kimmunicator. "And I promise I won't stop looking for a way to stop them that doesn't involve Hana, Rufus, _or_ Sensei. We are going to find a way out of this."

"Thanks, Wade," Ron replied as the Kimmunicators blipped back to the TP logo. "And thanks, KP."

"No big," she said with a smile and leaned-up to kiss him.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Approximately thirty minutes later a van pulled up to Ron's grandparents' house, and Kim was introduced to Uncle Jared, his wife Tamara, and three of their four children, Caleb, Joey, and daughter Adin. The boys both looked like their father, who looked like a much slimmed down version of his slightly younger brother Gene, while Adin had the dark chestnut, almost black hair of her mother. Jared and Tamara's fourth and eldest, Cousin Reuben, arrived with his wife Alexis about fifteen minutes later. Reuben bore a striking resemblance to a younger version of Grandpap Stoppable, while Alexis had trimmed her light brown hair down to a short, almost pixie-style cut. Kim was pleased to learn that the latest Mrs. Stoppable remembered her fondly despite the whole Zorpox mess that had occurred at her wedding to Reuben just over two years earlier.

"Hope you realize what you're getting into here, Kim," Alexis said as she hugged the younger woman. "This family isn't like any you've ever met before."

Kim merely smiled. "I actually already figured that out, Alexis."

The majority of the next two days was spent in preparation for the holiday celebration. It surprised Kim to learn that David and Rebekah Stoppable encouraged celebration of both Christmas and Chanukah, something she had never seen in anyone but Ron—not even his own parents routinely celebrated both. The family was so into both that they set up both a Menorah and a Christmas tree, and both symbols of the holidays were given places of high prominence in the living room. She didn't quite understand it until Rebekah explained the whole thing while the two of them along with Alexis and Adin were setting the table for dinner on Saturday, December 23rd, just two evenings before Christmas.

"It's pretty simple actually, Kim" Ron's grandmother said with a smile as she folded up the napkins. "David and I come from different faiths, him from Reform Jewish, and me from Catholic. We were actually originally a dual-faith household, so we kept up the traditions of both faiths. But just before Jared was born, we made the decision that I would convert to his faith. So the rest of the traditions fell away, but I just couldn't get myself to stop celebrating Christmas. So we decided we'd celebrate both and let Gene and the others decide for themselves what they wanted to do."

"But doesn't it get, you know, confusing and awk-weird?" Kim said as she used a cloth to polish up the plates before setting them out.

Adin smiled as she set out glasses. "You'd think, but Grandpap and Meemaw do a pretty good job of keeping the celebrations equal so that one doesn't overshadow the other. To be honest, the only place where one gets more attention than the other is that we only exchange gifts on Christmas, and that we always celebrate Chanukah on the eight days before Christmas. Other than that, pretty much equal treatment. And it's cool since there are a couple of members of the family who don't follow the Jewish faith."

"Like who?" the red-head replied just slightly surprised.

"Well, me and Reuben for one thing," Alexis replied as she placed out the silverware. "We were going to try the dual-faith thing too, but it only took us a couple months of living together to realize it wasn't going to work. Plus…well, that's not important."

"What?" Kim said as she started setting the plates out, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Adin grinned. "Bet I know. My oldest brother used to say he wasn't entirely comfortable with the Reform Jewish faith, and he doesn't like following something he can't fully get behind. As a matter of fact, before he started dating you, Alexis, he did a little religious experimenting and tried out a couple different belief systems. Mom and Dad weren't too happy about it, but they also keep saying they want all of us to be true to our hearts so they let him do it. And I think we all knew he wouldn't stay Reform Jewish when he came back to it."

Kim smiled. "So that's why you're wedding was purely traditional. I always wondered about that."

Alexis nodded. "That's right. Reuben didn't want to get married in a Jewish-style ceremony if neither one of us was going to be practicing that faith once we were married. So we went with my faith since we figured I was going to keep following Methodist regardless of what he ended up with. Made some of our relatives a little mad, but it was our wedding and we had the one we wanted."

Kim sighed. "I'm with you on that one."

Meemaw nodded sagely as she folded another napkin. "Speaking of which, I am curious what you and Ronald are planning to do, Kimberly. While I agree with Alexis's sentiment that it's your wedding and you should do what you want, it does bring up the interesting question of how the two of you plan on handling it."

The red-head shrugged, and paused putting down plates for a moment, seeming to look in their reflective surfaces as if the answer were etched there for her to read. "Well when we've talked about it, which really hasn't been much yet, Ron and I have discussed all three options. I mean, we could do the traditional Jewish wedding with Rabbi Katz officiating, or we could do the traditional Christian route with my reverend, Pastor Rivers, officiating. We've also discussed having both Rabbi Katz and Pastor Rivers officiating to honor both our beliefs. But we've still got almost four years to sort it all out, because we already decided we're not going to have the wedding until we get at least four years apiece in college and at least one of us has at least our Bachelor's Degree."

The eldest Stoppable woman smiled. "I think that is a fine way to approach it. Just don't put off the planning until your last year of school. Trust me: you'll be surprised just how much energy planning that one single day will take out of you. I know by the time my wedding to Ronald's grandfather rolled around, I was almost too exhausted to think from making last minute decisions. Spent almost the entire week beforehand just splayed out in bed or on the couch at my parents' house so I wouldn't look like I was worn out when I walked down the aisle. I was so tired I don't even remember that much of the rehearsal dinner."

Kim grinned. "Well, considering the kind of life me and Ron like to lead, I'm hoping to have everything set pretty much in stone at least two months ahead of time. And I plan to have one heck of a coordinator on my side."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

In another part of the house, Ron was dealing with his own bit of interrogation, courtesy of two of his three uncles and Reuben.

"Seriously, Ron, how did someone like you end up with someone like her?" Reuben said with a teasing smile as he dealt out the cards. "I mean, you two are almost nothing alike. And it's not in the good sense of 'opposites attract' either."

Ron grinned as he scanned the cards he'd been given. "We just work, Reuben, that's all. I can't explain it, she can't explain it…heck even her rocket-scientist dad and brain surgeon mom can't explain it. And Dad says the odds were stacked astronomically against us, but still it happened. No one knows how it works, but it does. Now can we please get back to the cards?"

Uncle Jared smiled and nodded as he tossed a few chips on the pile. "As far as you and Kimberly go, I'm willing to bet it's got to do with the fact that you two have been best friends since you met in Pre-K. To tell the truth, I still remember how happy you sounded that you'd made a friend your first day when you told us all about her when we got together for Thanksgiving that year. And by that time you'd already been friends with her for almost three months."

Uncle Gabe laughed and tossed in his match of Uncle Jared's bet. "Aww, leave him alone, you two. Ron found a beautiful girl who likes him, and you two are just jealous he found his so much sooner than you found yours."

Ron looked at his cards and dropped out a match and a raise. "Thanks, Uncle Gabe."

Reuben eyed his cousin and smiled as he matched the wager. "Still don't understand what she finds attractive in a lanky guy like you, but if it works for you, I guess I'll be happy for you. Just…don't assume that just because you're engaged you'll make it all the way. You gotta work on things between the two of you harder than you were before you proposed, and even more so once you walk down the aisle. Trust me, a marriage is a full-time thing, and it takes a lot of care and love to keep it strong. How many cards you want?"

"One," Ron replied as he slid over his discarded card. "And yeah, I know. We've already had a few fights since I proposed to her, and we both agreed it hurt a bit more than it used to, even on small disagreements." _Probably why she sounded so hurt the other day when I jumped her and Wade about their suspicions_, he thought with an inward frown as they continued the hand. _I really need to find a way to make it up to her._

_

* * *

_

Bates scowled as he glanced out the window from the living room of the hideout. It was starting to snow, and he detested the stuff with a high passion. Then he noticed the latest group of ninja monkeys he'd sent to the Yamanouchi School returning from their recon mission. The short, stout man frowned as he realized that several of them were moving rather awkwardly, as if they had been gravely injured. He glared as he went to the front door to let them in.

"Report," he snapped at the leader.

The monkey chittered at him fervently while pointing to its injured comrades, as well as to the rips in its own clothing. After a few minutes it stopped its gesturing and screeching, and lowered its arms. Bates grinned nastily before pointing into the lair.

"Very good. Get yourselves cleaned up while I report this news."

As the monkey ninjas capered into the recesses of the hideout, Bates walked with a self-assured cockiness towards the lab that D.N. Amy had set-up. Inside, he found the rogue geneticist bent over a microscope, intently examining the few stone chips she'd managed to remove from the stone-encased Monkey Fist in an attempt to decipher as much information about his condition as possible.

"My dear Amelia, the monkey ninjas have returned with some excellent news. The latest group we sent to Yamanouchi was able to take down one of our pests—that annoying ninja girl. And during the battle she evidently yelled that she would not allow them to harm her Sensei. It seems our ruse has worked, and the third target remains unknown to those meddlesome teenagers. And I am fairly certain they have yet to figure out our second target as well, even if we have been telegraphing it to them."

D.N. Amy looked up from her microscope. "Oh, goody," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "So they'll never suspect the final hit we've got planned until it's too late. Oh, this is just perfect."

"Very," Bates replied. "However, we must still be careful, milady. The final target will not go down easily. Nor will they come willingly. Not that any of them will, but the last will be especially tough."

* * *

Kim smiled as she placed her gift for Ron under the tree after he and most of his family had gone to sleep Christmas Eve. They had lit the final candle of the Chanukah Menorah just a few hours earlier, and the red-head was pleased to find that she understood the majority of what had been said during the observance of the Jewish holiday. It wasn't that she understood the Hebrew being spoken (that was one language she still had trouble getting a good grasp on), but the reverence and feel of everything as Grandpap Stoppable used the _Shamash_ candle to light the other eight and Uncle Jared as the second-oldest male did the readings. Yet despite her being merely an observer, she realized that none of the family seemed to regard her as such. If anything, they seemed to be treating Kim like one might treat someone attending their first meeting of an established group or activity. It was almost the same way she and her family had been received at her fiancé's _Bar_ _Mitzvah_, and the idea caused her to smile appreciatively even as she reached for Ron's hand once the lighting of the Menorah was finished.

Now, however, the only lights in the room were the still burning candles and the lights from the tree, giving the room a soft, wavering glow. Setting Ron's present carefully under the tree, she did a final smoothing of the wrapping. It had taken some work to find it, including getting Wade to do a global search of all available retailers and calling in a few favors from her overseas contacts. It had also cost her a bit more since it was such a rare item, but she knew he would be pleased. Particularly if he still possessed his "childlike wonder"—which she was pretty sure he most definitely did, evidenced by the numerous snowball fights all the cousins had engaged in since their arrival. As she climbed the stairs to the room they were sharing, she couldn't but smile when she thought of the two of them doing all of this a few years down the road, perhaps even setting up for the next morning together after their kids had gone to bed.

As she was climbing into the bed, she noticed one thing missing though…Ron. Thinking he must be doing something similar to what she'd been doing, she decided to lay awake and wait for him. However, after several minutes, he still hadn't shown up, and she couldn't hear any movement in the house. Curious, she decided to redress and go and look for him. When she found him, he was seated in a meditative pose out back on some tree stumps, his face completely devoid of emotion. There was a light snow falling on top of what had already gathered on the ground, and from the looks of him and the amount of white stuff on his clothes, he'd been out there a while. Slowly, she leaned towards him and smiled at how peaceful he seemed. Kim reached out a hand and was about to touch him when his eyes fluttered open. The sudden movement startled her slightly, and the off-balance position she had put herself in caused her to fall forward into his lap. The surprise sent Ron backwards, causing them both to tumble into the snow.

"Funny time for snow angels, eh, KP?" Ron said with a grin.

Kim giggled as she lay on top of him and brushed some of the snow out his blonde hair. "Actually, I was wondering what you were doing out here in the cold."

Ron's smile disappeared, although the look that replaced it wasn't quite a frown. "I was trying to contact Sensei to see what he thinks about the theory you and Wade have about Hana being connected to all this. He's not answering, though…or I'm not doing it right, which is entirely possible." His face didn't show it, but Kim got the feeling her love was more inclined to believe the first option was true.

"Ron, I'm sure he's got a good reason for not answering if that's what it is," she replied as she leaned up a bit. "Maybe he's just busy at the moment. Or maybe he's tending to Yori." As much as Kim still wondered about the depths of the feelings the kunoichi still harbored for Ron, she had never really wished harm on the young woman.

"Maybe," Ron replied, sounding almost completely unconvinced. "Though I think I'm going to try again tomorrow morning."

Kim smirked, a light in her eye. "Yeah, we'll see about that. Or have you forgotten already what tomorrow is?"

Ron smiled. "Actually, no I haven't. Tomorrow is December 26th, the day before we head home."

The young woman shook her head. "Nope. Tomorrow's Christmas."

Now the blonde's grin got even wider. "Not quite, KP. According to my Kimmunicator, it's just past midnight. Meaning it just became Christmas a few minutes ago. And also meaning I owe you one special Christmas kiss."

He leaned up and kissed her, and both of them could swear the heat of the lip-lock caused them to sink a little deeper in the snow. However, the cold promptly returned in the next instant, and they quickly got up and headed inside, brushing the snow off their clothes as they did so. It didn't take too long before most of their clothes were hung up to dry and they were in their pajamas, both of them snuggled under the blanket and quilt his grandparents kept on the bed they were using. Soon afterwards they were both out like a light, both of them dreaming about Christmases to come.

* * *

Sheila sat on the bed staring out at the waters of Go City Bay through the glass door leading out to the balcony connected to her room, the holiday lights of Go City making the view of the metropolis from the tower even more spectacular. Behind her she could hear Andy's light breathing, and she envied him for being able to actually get some rest. For some reason she couldn't sleep tonight even though she felt exhausted. Her parents had only moved in to Go Tower a few days ago, and already they were back to acting like…well…parents. The attention had been particularly amped up when they learned what she had done that summer with the Attitudinator, as if her switching back to good had been news they'd been hoping all their lives for. Her mother especially kept fussing over Sheila's condition, asking all sorts of questions about what all they'd done to prepare for the birth. In fact, the only time Sheila had gotten a moment's piece had been two days before when she'd tried to turn the focus off of herself by asking Sheridan why they'd left…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Really, Momma, I'm fine," Sheila said with exasperation as she and her mother sat talking on the couch in the main leisure area of Go Tower, Sheila reclining on a few pillows to take some of the pressure off her back. "And I know things are going to be hectic with my first kids being twins. I have been reading the books, you know."

"I'm serious, Sheila," the elder Godfrey woman answered with a smile. "To be honest, your father and I were caught completely off-guard by Werner and Wesley, and we already had experience with the other three of you."

"Momma, _I'm fine_," the mint-skinned woman replied. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to think it's too tough once they hit five and take off." There had been a bit of snarkiness in the comment when Sheila didn't really mean it, and the look on her mother's face showed it.

"You think _that's_ why your father and I left?" Sheridan declared incredulously.

Sheila roughly fluffed one of the pillows behind her. "Honestly, Momma, the five of us haven't got a clue what to think. I mean, even Hector doesn't know what to make of it all, and he's the one the two of you decided to contact and tell you weren't really dead. But based on what we do know, it seems the most likely."

Sheridan grinned sadly. "Sheila, that's not the reason we took off, and it would never be. I know you might not believe me, but it was the hardest thing in the world to do, and it took everything we had to not tell the five of you we were alive. But we couldn't risk exposing ourselves. We only contacted Hector because we needed a way out of the country that wouldn't lead to us, and he was the easiest to contact out in the open. After that, we only met with him when we absolutely had to. And it was actually our last trip to see Hector that let the Risattis know we were still alive and put them back on our trail. That's why it was our last visit in person."

Sheila stood and turned away. "But why are you so concerned about them? What exactly are you hiding from them, Momma?"

Her mother surprised her at that point, and got up to hug her tightly. "You, honey. You and your brothers. But especially you, Firefly."

"Us? And especially me?" Sheila said in surprise, partly from being singled out and partly from her mother using the nickname her father had given her even before she and her brothers were hit with the comet.

"Yes, Sheila, you. The five of you are…unique."

Sheila shook her head. "Momma, we figured that out in the weeks following the night the comet hit. Every doctor you and Dad talked to said we shouldn't have survived, let alone gotten powers out of it. It's not like the fact we're special is some big secret."

"Sheila," her mother said shakily, a definite quiver to her voice, "I'm sure you know by now that Aviarius copied my research to make his staff which stole your powers. And based on what Hector and Melvin told your father and me about what's been happening with you and your twins when you try to use your glow power, I assume that's why you sent Team Possible to find us. But unfortunately that's not what I was researching. I was actually looking for a way to give you completely normal lives, and that…that could only happen if I…if I could undo my mistake. Firefly, I'm sorry, but the removal of your glow powers was just an accidental side-effect that I can't recreate. Only Aviarius can do that, honey."

Green eyes peered into ones that were starting to water—eyes that were the same rich, dark blue they themselves had once been. "But if you weren't trying to remove the glow powers, what were you trying to fix?"

Sheridan's breathing was scattered like someone on the verge of breaking down into tears. "Honey…I…your mother isn't the nice person you think she is. I've done a lot of good with my research into genetics and chemistry, yes, but I've also done some things I'm not proud of. Shortly before your youngest brothers were born, I got obsessed with not just learning how the human genome worked, but improving it. I got particularly interested in making it so people could survive catastrophic injuries and recover from them, especially after your grandmother was killed when that burglar pushed her over the railing while running from Go City Mall security. The day we had to unplug her, I swore I would find a way to prevent that from happening to anyone else. And so I tried to push my research farther than any other scientist…and sometimes I ended up pushing farther than ethics or the law would allow me to go. I got so caught up in my work that I was even willing to make a deal with the Risattis if they would let me do the research I wanted to do. In exchange, I'd give them the secret once I found it. But when I did have a breakthrough, I discovered what my tunnel vision was making me do, and I was ashamed. So I refused to test it."

Sheila frowned, and sat back down on the couch. "But where do we come in, Momma?"

Her mother smiled sadly before continuing. "When I finally woke up and realized that I was about to give the secret to near invulnerability to mobsters, I panicked. I called Global Justice to turn myself in, and to hand over everything I'd done. I actually talked directly with their new leader at the time, Betty Director. She promised they would keep all of us safe in exchange for all the research I had managed to gather. I agreed, and was gathering up my data at home that night when it happened. Carmine and a few of his thugs came over to the house while the five of you were all asleep and your father was out at the store picking up some more diapers for Werner and Wesley. When Carmine realized what I was doing, he forced me to watch as he doused the five of you with the remainder of the serum I'd already created, making all of you pretty much invulnerable to practically everything if your heart rate goes up. It's why all five of you have survived things that should have killed or seriously injured you, and why you all heal from injuries faster than most."

Sheila blinked a few times as she thought back over the past several years, the explanation making several things suddenly become clearer. More than once, particularly in her duels with the Princess, accidents and other things had happened to her that would have at the very least seriously injured a normal person, yet she continued to walk away from them all as if little had actually taken place. She had been zapped by numerous rays and lasers that Kim dodged out of the way of just in time, and covered by heavy debris falling from walls and machinery the teen hero had kicked or thrown her into. She'd nearly drowned and/or suffocated in cheese and muffin mix and numerous other things, and only been a little out breath when pulled out of them. And most notable of all, somehow she'd survived being brutally kicked over twenty yards into a highly electrified transmitter tower at Bueno Nacho headquarters during Drakken's Lil' Diablo scheme, a tower which then collapsed on her—and somehow Sheila had come away with nothing more than singed hair and ash and dust on her face.

"So what did they do afterwards?" she asked after a moment.

"He laughed and mocked me, saying I finally had my test subjects. Then he stole the research notes and left."

Sheila looked a little lost. "But then why does he keep chasing you if he has the notes? Couldn't he recreate it himself, or get someone else to do it for him?"

"No, honey, because I realized it was the type of thing no person should have after I told Global Justice about it. So I changed the formula when I was going to hand it over to them so they couldn't recreate it, and Carmine found that out when he tested it on some of his thugs and all it did was give the lot of them hives. The five of you hold the key, but only your D.N.A will let them synthesize it. I don't know why, but all of your brothers didn't just change—they actually melded with the serum and it changed to match them. For the boys, the serum became specific to their genetic code, and whatever is created from their samples will only work on them. But for reasons I can't explain, you have two copies in your system. You have the one that molded to your genetic code, and somehow you also contain the original. I found that out just about a year after the comet hit, when I was looking for ways to undo what I had done. See, Carmine and his thugs may have been the ones that exposed you to the serum, but I was the one who created it and was too proud to destroy it before he got to it."

Sheila suddenly got very worried. "Momma, does this mean my kids are going to have it in them too?"

Her mother's silence had said it all.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Now, as she gazed out at the Christmas lights dotting the buildings of Go City, the thoughts of what Carmine Risatti would do if he got a hold of her children kept invading her head. And the worst part was that if the Italian gangster came after her before she gave birth to them, she wouldn't be able to use her powers to defend herself without risking the twins powering up and killing both themselves and her.

"You okay?" she heard a voice from behind her say.

Turning around, she saw Andy sitting up in bed, the dark blue, snowflake-patterned pajamas he insisted on wearing this time of year open at the shirt and exposing his bare, light blue chest.

Sheila sighed, and placed a hand worriedly on her very pregnant belly. "Not really. I honestly thought my Momma was going to be able to alleviate some of my worries about having these kids, not add more things for me to worry about."

Andy smiled. His love had already told him about the conversation with her mother, and he could understand her agitation quite well. "Well, I do have a suggestion that might alleviate at least one of those worries."

The mint-skinned woman looked at him like she had so many times before when she'd already decided a plan wasn't going to work. "And that would be what, exactly?"

A smile crossed a blue face. "I was thinking of names for the boys. How about Alex and Xander?"

Sheila smirked. "You're only picking that because we already know that one of them is named Xander."

"Actually," Andy replied as he scooted over next to her and began softly rubbing her shoulders, "I didn't really like the name Xander until I thought of naming the other boy Alex, and the reason why I want to name them that."

"Well this should be good," Sheila retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Alright, let's hear it."

Andy smiled. "I want to name them that because each is a half of Alexander, as in 'Alexander the Great who conquered the known world'. And despite every time we tried to take over the world, the closest we ever got was half-way before Team Possible stopped us."

Sheila opened her mouth and was about to give a snarky response to the cheesy reason when something stopped her. She didn't know why, but the more she thought about it, the more the names started picking up some nice rings to them. Particularly when combined she combined them with Lipsky in her head. She placed a hand on each side of her stomach over each twin, and Andy joined her in the motion.

"Xander," she said, placing their right hands on the right side of her stomach. "And Alex," she said as she placed their lefts.

Almost immediately there was a very strong kick under their left hands, as if the unborn baby thought there was something terribly wrong with the name, but it only caused both Sheila and Andy to smile even more.

"Looks like he's gonna be a fighter," Sheila quipped.

"Just like his mother," Andy replied with an affectionate kiss on her cheek. "Gonna be a pair of strong boys."

Sheila smiled as she looked at him, but then she caught sight of the clock, and started laughing and crying at the same time.

"Nnnngg…Sheila, what's wrong?" he immediately said worriedly.

"Nothing," she said with a watery smile and a kiss. "It's just that it's now Christmas morning, and I just realized what that means."

"What?" he said with a smile as he placed a hand softly on her cheek that she nuzzled into.

"By waiting till now to decide on names, we just gave the boys their first Christmas present."

The moment was punctuated by another kick from the left side.

* * *

Christmas morning turned out to be one Kim and Ron sorely needed, although they hadn't realized until they really got into the spirit of the day and his family's celebration just how much so. They needed a day where they didn't have to worry about what the villains were planning or the G.V.U. drama they were facing, and this day proved to be just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately they did still have to worry a little about Cousin Shawn's high-jinks—and one particular prank did have a bit of a pleasant yet annoying side-effect…

"According to the label, you two should be free in about ten minutes," Uncle Gabe said with a laugh as he turned over the tube in his hand.

Kim was enjoying the position she found herself currently in, but couldn't help the rolling of her eyes. Just a few minutes ago, Ron had made the comment that his lips felt chapped, and Shawn had handed him a tube of "lip balm". Without even pausing to think about why his trouble-making cousin was suddenly being helpful, Ron had applied the stuff.

"Hey, tastes like cherries," the blonde had said with a grin.

That had been too good an opening to pass up, and Kim had smiled. She'd also licked her lips and winked at him.

"Mind if I have a taste?" she had said before taking a kiss intended to be a quick peck.

However, when she tried to pull back, Ron came with her. At first she thought he was just trying to prolong things, but then he tried to pull back and she felt herself pulled right back towards him. The whole family had laughed at the situation until they finally realized just what was going on and that the couple wasn't just trying to be romantic. Evidently Cousin Shawn hadn't changed at all, and the "lip balm" had actually been a trickster's lip glue designed to fuse kissing lips together for a short period. Considering the average regular kiss lasts less than a few seconds, the manufacturer had mercifully decided it would be appropriate for the glue to wear off after fifteen minutes. And despite their best efforts, nothing Kim and Ron did could break the hold, so they were stuck for the full time. Even Rufus had tried to help his humans, bowing up between them with his hands on Kim's forehead and his feet on Ron's and pushing with all his might—all to no avail. It was like their lips had been stuck together by that yellow gas that had once bonded Kim to Bonnie and attached Ron to Steve Barkin.

Now the two of them had been stuck in a lip-lock for almost a full five minutes of the fifteen minutes of time the manufacturer had decided to sentence them to, and it was starting to hurt a little. Normally a prolonged kiss would be something for Kim and Ron to savor, but they generally preferred at least a little movement during their make-outs. Holding their lips and necks in the same position for so long like this, however, was definitely not enjoyable. And since it had been a pecking kiss they couldn't even mix things up by using their tongues. But the worst part was that their boredom was starting to show in their eyes, and they couldn't even speak to each other to explain that the monotonous feeling was concerned with the position and not with the person.

Kim especially was a little worried what Ron must think about the fact she kept trying to glare daggers at his cousin, meaning that once or twice the daggers flew forward before they flew out. Her intended target, who was staring at them with a smug smile on his face, had even added a little insult to injury at the start by dangling mistletoe over them more than once since they'd gotten stuck. Thankfully he seemed to tire of that method of annoyance pretty quickly—although the cocky smirk remained on his face as if plastered there. What made it worse however was that Uncle Shawn and Aunt Ruth refused to get on to him about it, passing it off as something to laugh about. At least, Aunt Ruth said nothing against her son; Shawn Goldman, Sr., just seemed content to continue his passive-parenting style of deferring to his wife.

"Honestly," Aunt Ruth replied. "With as much as those two have been kissing this week, I would think they'd appreciate the chance to make one longer."

However, the rest of the Stoppable clan was far less pleased with Shawn's antics. Even Cousin Sara was more than a little upset with her prankster brother.

"Really, Shawn, why do you pick on Ron like that? He's never done anything to you."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Shawn replied with a devious grin accompanied by a rude raspberry.

Alexis smiled as if she'd just figured out a tough puzzle. "You know, I think she's got a point, Shawn. You do seem to pick on Ron more than the rest of your cousins. If I didn't know better, I'd think you look up to him."

Not that she had much choice in the matter, but Kim watched Ron's eyes shoot wide as the thought sunk in. Thinking back over what she knew about her love's relationship with his troublesome cousin, she did have to admit Alexis made a valid point. Try as she might, Kim couldn't think of a single prank the boy had pulled on others in the time she'd known him that she hadn't seen tried out on Ron first. Maybe it was possible there was a hidden admiration there, but if there was they were more likely to get Rufus to give up cheese than get Shawn to admit to it.

Finally, after what seemed like ages but was still only the described fifteen minutes, both Kim and Ron could feel the lip glue loosening and began to pull slowly back. The effect was the same as if one let their lips get dried out while their mouth was closed, with that slightly uncomfortable, tugging stickiness feeling. Ron worked his jaw while Kim quickly began running her tongue over lips in an attempt to remoisten them. The rest of the family laughed nervously at their reactions until both began smiling again. As the mirth died down, Grandpap clapped his hands together.

"Okay, now that we've all enjoyed the morning entertainment that Shawn so graciously provided, why don't we get down to why we're gathered here? And to start off, I have a present for my lovely Becky."

Kim, the Stoppable women, and most of the men, were smiling as David Stoppable presented his wife with a beautiful set of silver and diamond snowflake earrings. The rest of the gifts that got exchanged that morning were each equally surprising, from a set of spy-vision goggles for Cousin Shawn ("Who gave that boy the ability to pull his pranks in the dark?" exclaimed Uncle Gabe) to a brand new set of china that Grandpap and Meemaw presented to Reuben and Alexis. However, the biggest gasps of surprise came up when Kim opened her gift from Ron. In fact, it took a few minutes before Kim could actually find words.

"Ron…how…" she said as she stared at the contents of the jewelry box.

Ron merely smiled, and pulled the simple gold chain out and draped it around her neck. That in itself wasn't surprising—what made everyone gasp was that hanging from that chain were five gorgeous stones. The first two were sparkling emeralds cut into "KP", the middle was a flawless diamond heart, and the last two were a pair of shining sapphires cut into "RS". Once it was around her neck, Kim still hadn't found the right way to make her voice work.

Ron's grin got wider. "Best part about this is you can change out the stones or add new ones if you want. And before you ask, I already set it up with _Tamara's_ that any piece you add gets paid for with my account. And that works at any of their stores here in the States."

Kim honestly didn't know what to say. On the one hand, she knew she was going to have to sit her fiancé down at some point in the near future and talk to him about his seemingly new-found need to buy stuff that impressed her with his Bueno Nacho money. On the other hand, she was extremely touched that he'd spent so much. Unfortunately, it also made her feel a bit nervous over what she'd gotten him. However, one look at his face as he peeled back the paper told her she'd definitely chosen right…

"No way! KP, you found a copy of 'The Six Tasks of Snowman Hank'!" he shouted in elation as he wrapped her in a hug tight enough to make her want him to ease up had it been anyone else squeezing the air out of her frame.

Ron's father nearly spit out his spiced eggnog in surprise. "Wherever did you find that, Kimberly? Ron's mother and I have been looking for that thing ever since the Christmas Ron tried to make your present the gift of letting you stay home with your family. We couldn't even find a bootleg copy."

Kim smiled. "Called in a favor with a friend overseas to have them look for it in some of the rare movies stores. She finally found it in a store just outside London, and I sent her the money to cover the purchase and so she could ship it back here." She turned to Ron. "And you're really happy with it?"

Ron's grin couldn't have gotten much wider. "Are you kidding, KP? With a gift as badical as this, I wish I'd gotten you something better."

_Yep, definitely need to have a talk about it,_ Kim thought even as she smiled. "Ron, the necklace is perfect." To make sure he understood how perfect, she immediately followed up with a tender yet forceful kiss—though she kept it tame considering his family was sitting there.

The rest of the morning was spent pretty much just doing the normal family get-together stuff. The cousins along with Kim and Alexis got into another snowball fight while the adults all watched from the porch while sipping on cider and eggnog. After that, the men set about to fixing up a feast while the women cleaned up the wrappings and straightened up the rest. Actually, it was more like the women cleaned while _Ron_ cooked, as he pretty much took over the kitchen except for Grandpap's apparently famous pies in pumpkin and cinnamon-apple varieties and Uncle Gabe's equally highly-anticipated homemade eggnog ice cream. And while Kim remained fiercely loyal to Ron's "mad cooking skills", she had to admit she'd never had anything quite as delicious as the warm apple pie with a scoop of the eggnog ice cream slowly melting on top of it.

While they were all enjoying the dessert, the secret Cousin Reuben and Alexis had come to reveal finally came out.

"You're going to what?" Meemaw exclaimed excitedly.

"You heard right," Reuben said with a smile. "Alexis is due in August."

"Congrats, man!" Ron replied with a smile. "I'm sure you're going to be a great dad, Reuben."

"I hope so," his cousin replied.

"I _know_ so," Alexis said with a smile before she turned to the rest. "He thinks he's too laid-back for the kids to take him seriously."

"Sounds familiar," laughed Kim with a joking yet meaningful glance at Ron.

And later that night, as they got ready for bed, Kim couldn't help but laugh a little. "You know, Ron, now I think I understand more of why you are the way you are."

Ron merely shrugged as he pulled back the covers for them. "I am what I is, KP."

Kim grinned and shook her head in amusement as she slid in next to him. "Not what I meant, Ron. I mean it makes more sense now why you act the way you do. And just so you know, I think this is probably my favorite trip of all."

The young man smiled as he pulled her close and she cuddled next to him with her head on his right shoulder. "Even with Cousin Shawn's hassling us with his pranks?"

Kim shrugged. "Okay, second favorite. But definitely a close vote between this one and Nana."

Ron grinned. "Yeah. Still wish we could have done this before Willie Finkman ratted us out."

The red-head sighed. In all the enjoyment of the holidays, she'd practically forgotten about the reporter who had outed their secret and forced them to reveal their engagement before they'd told their families. But thankfully it was now over. Well, not quite…there was still one matter to resolve before things were fully settled…

"You know, Ron, I'm sorry about the way things turned out," she said with kiss on his cheek.

"What do you mean, KP?"

"Well, I didn't realize it at the time, but we kind of put you in the hot seat by taking care of my family first. And really that wasn't fair to you. We should have taken turns on it. It might have made things easier if we'd told at least one of them before the Weasel forced us to talk."

Ron tenderly brushed a few hairs out of her face. "Hey, don't worry about it. To be honest, these were the only times we could get together with my relatives. I mean, with my mom's family, there was no way I was going to let us face them alone…particularly with the way I knew they were going to treat you. As for dad's side, this was really the only space we could make it over here for because of their health."

Kim blinked a few times. "But they seem fine to me."

Ron shrugged and yawned. "I guess so, but Grandpap's been having some liver trouble, and Meemaw's got some problems with her legs. It's nothing serious, but it does slow them down a bit."

They lay there in the dark for a few minutes, the only light in the room the soft moonlight reflecting off the snow outside. Kim was about to say something else when she looked over and saw that Ron's eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed to a sleeping pace. She smiled and kissed his cheek again before turning over, though she still kept her head on his shoulder. Her smile grew wider when Ron echoed her turning in his sleep and wrapped his other arm protectively around her. There was a slightly tense moment when his left hand found her breast, but she giggled softly because she knew it wasn't an intentional thing. She also decided she liked being held with that feeling of tender and loving possession, and snuggled back into him, letting his arms drape more snugly around her.

The next morning was filled with the loving goodbyes of family. Aunt Ruth still regarded them both with a sort of mild contempt over the whole Attitudinator incident; however it only showed in her half-hearted hug of Ron and almost complete ignorance of Kim, only gracing the red-head with a courteous smile and nod of farewell. The rest of the family made up for it in spades though, so that by the time they actually climbed in the Sloth, Kim was sure that she'd gotten a total of over a hundred hugs from just fourteen people. David and Rebekah Stoppable, however, gave her the most meaningful, as they both promised that as long as they were still around they'd be at her wedding to their grandson when it happened. As they pulled out of the drive, following his parents and sister in the SUV, both turned back and waved.

The drive back was interesting to say the least, and made Kim wish they hadn't decided to caravan with Ron's family. Gene insisted on getting up early and driving late, which turned what probably should have been a three-day trip into one-and-a-half days and got them all back to Middleton late on the 28th. While she was glad to be back with her family, even someone like Kim who routinely burned the candle at both ends had to admit they'd probably pushed the limits of their fatigue. It also made her extremely grateful that Ron had agreed to extend their trip out to West Virginia by one extra night a week earlier, as she was practically dead on her feet when she carried her things in the front door after dropping Ron off at his parents. They'd agreed to get together early the next morning, but both knew that it would be best that night if they slept alone and in their own beds. As Kim dragged her luggage through the quiet house and up to her room, she began to contemplate notions of just falling in bed in the clothes she had on. However, no sooner had she hauled the last suitcase through the trapdoor before she heard a sound she certainly wasn't looking forward to.

_Beep Beep Be-Deep_.

Sighing, she pulled back the sleeve of her G.V.U. sweatshirt. "What's the sitch, Wade?" she said with a yawn, "And can it wait till morning?" She got a temporary headache like she'd said the exact phrase before in one of those missions June and Xander had tampered with, but it vanished in an instant.

"Sorry, Kim, but it's an urgent call. I have Dr. Director on hold for a video conference, and she said she's been trying to get a hold of you since you got back from Italy."

Kim scowled and yawned again, but nodded her acceptance of the call. A moment later, the patch-eyed visage of the Global Justice leader appeared on her Kimmunicator.

"Hi, Betty," she said with sleepy smile. "What's the sitch?"

There was no trace of smile on the woman's face, however. "Sorry to call you so late, Kim, but I thought you should know we just got more information on what Gemini, Gerhardt, and the WEE are planning."

Kim blinked herself awake a few times, though her eyelids still felt pretty heavy. "Okay. What are they planning?"

Betty frowned. "Kim, they're going to be attacking G.V.U. the first week of the new semester. And according to our informant, it's not going to be just the plants we know about."

* * *

a/n

_From now on, I'll be putting personal notes down here. Saw it on a few other author's stories, and I liked how it was set up. So I'll be adopting that method as well. Plus, it gets you to the story faster. :)_

_Anyways, I wanted to apologize for the delay guys, but I broke a couple fingers in both hands a few days ago during a snowboarding accident when this installment was only about 80% done. As a result, finishing it has been interesting to say the least. Also, if you notice I've redesigned the separators I use to break things up, and had to go back and redo those. Things are still broken up the same way, but now it has a bit more of my personal touch to it._

_On a separate note, several people have sent me a PM about the poll about Kim' major being pulled down. The reason is that I finally hit the point in this tale that it had to come down. As far as what won, I must say I was slightly surprised with the results. For those wondering about the outcome, you'll be finding out soon, as the red-head will be picking what she's going to study within the next few chapters. :)_

_And of course, as always any reviews and comments are always welcome! They let me know you guys are still enjoying this tale. :)_


	31. Chapter 31

A/N

Chapter 31 is up and running!

- Dr. Director's got some urgent news for Team Possible, but something seems a bit wrong with a particular member.

- Yori's got some lingering issues to deal with, but she's not the only Yamanouchi resident with problems to deal with...

- Ron's comes seeking advice from Mr. Dr. P., but maybe it's the rocket scientist who needs some advice.

- Wade reveals a bit of information he's uncovered, and Kim makes a decision she's not thrilled about.

- The conference between Team Possible and Dr. Director is anything but smooth.

- The start of the spring semester presents a problem for Kim.

- An unwanted problem reemerges, and why its back causes some problems.

- Finally, a group makes final preparations for a showdown.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Kim scowled and yawned again, but nodded her acceptance of the call. A moment later, the patch-eyed visage of the Global Justice leader appeared on her Kimmunicator.

"Hi, Betty," she said with sleepy smile. "What's the sitch?"

There was no trace of smile on the woman's face, however. "Sorry to call you so late, Kim, but I thought you should know we just got more information on what Gemini, Gerhardt, and the WEE are planning."

Kim blinked herself awake a few times, though her eyelids still felt pretty heavy. "Okay. What are they planning?"

Betty frowned. "Kim, they're going to be attacking G.V.U. the first week of the new semester. And according to our informant, it's not going to be just the plants we know about."

Another few blinks to stave off the mounting exhaustion. "Definitely sounds bad. Look, Betty, I know we need to organize something, but unfortunately I'm about to pass out here. And you and I both know I'm a lot more 'head in the game' when I've had some sleep. Is it alright if I call you in the morning about this?"

The older woman got a look similar to the one she'd held when she'd asked how Kim knew about Dr. Sylvan Green's work the first time they'd met. "Kim, are you feeling alright?"

The red-head nodded, even as she failed to contain the slight yawn. "I'm fine. Just got back from a long trip to see Ron's family that we left on right after we brought Sheila's parents back with us from Venice."

The look Dr. Director fixed her with was just this side from becoming a worried frown. "Yes, I am aware of your recent mission to Italy and most of what took place while you were there. And I think we need to talk about what you managed to learn during your retrieval of Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey."

Kim closed her eyes for a moment before responding. "Fine, but I'm seriously about to fall asleep here."

The Global Justice head sighed but appeared to relent. "Very well. Call me back as soon as you can. There are a lot of things we need to discuss, and the sooner we have that talk the better."

Kim nodded as the call was disconnected, her fatigue causing her to almost completely miss the veiled meaning behind the woman's last words. It wasn't until she'd drifted sleepily through getting ready for bed and her head had hit the pillow that it even registered that maybe Dr. Director wanted to talk about more than just the impending WEE sitch and their mission to Venice. However, she was so tired that her concern only kept her awake a few more minutes before she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The room was well lit, but that didn't stop the young woman from feeling a great, darkening sorrow in her heart. As she stared at the walls of her room in the medical wing of the Yamanouchi School, Yori couldn't help but berate herself. Despite her immense focus on her training, it had taken only nine of Monkey Fist's simian lackeys to put her at least temporarily out of commission. The pain caused by her broken leg and multiple cracked ribs hurt, but not nearly as much as the disappointment in herself that now filled her heart. All those hours of disciplined practice, and it had taken less than a dozen foes to take her down.

What made it worse was the reason she had become so focused on her training as of late—a man she still harbored feelings for who would never return those feelings as long as a certain red-head didn't prove herself blind to what she had. In her head, the young Japanese woman knew that Ron and Kim were meant to be, that they were happy together, but her foolish heart still refused to accept that as the way things were. Even now that her friends were engaged to be married, Yori could not rid herself of the thoughts that continuously pecked at the back of her mind like a perpetually dripping faucet. And the reason she would not listen to those thoughts is that is exactly what Kim and Ron were to her—friends.

As much as her heart might still wish that Ron had chosen her over his longtime best friend, Yori harbored no ill feelings towards Kim Possible for the situation. The red-head had done nothing wrong, and plus she seemed to deeply care for the handsome blonde. Not to mention that the young woman was loyal to those she considered friends, Yori included, and that fell high on the kunoichi's list of things that deserved both respect and admiration. That didn't mean she wouldn't swoop in at a moment's notice if the American cheerleader ever broke Stoppable-san's heart, but during her month-long, pre-graduation solitude, Yori had not only determined that the couple was destined but that she would never do anything to sabotage the couple's relationship. And so, needing a refocus of her life in order to enforce that decision, Yori had thrown herself without hesitation into the honing of her skills as a ninja, hoping it would prove an ample distraction from her thoughts about one Ron Stoppable.

And yet, despite all the hours of tireless training and perfecting of her abilities, a small squad of monkey ninjas had been able to best her. True, she may have won the physical battle and forced them to flee, but she could not deny that the simian practitioners of the art of combat had won the mental part and left her doubting her prowess. It shouldn't have mattered that she had rushed in without first observing and had found herself facing triple the odds she had expected. It also shouldn't have mattered that the monkeys, who so rarely used weapons before, had all been armed with claw knuckle daggers. Yori was better than she had performed in the skirmish, and she knew it. And that knowledge, coupled with the reason behind her narrow focus on her skills, left a gaping hole in her soul that she could not begin to explain or fill.

As she lay there pondering over this, Master Sensei entered the room.

"Yori, how are you feeling?" he said warmly.

"I am doing better, Sensei," she replied with as respectful a bow as she could manage from her position in the hospital wing's bed.

Her teacher fixed her with a knowing gaze, his hands folded in the sleeves of his robe giving him a very wise appearance. "Yori, even were I not your Sensei and teacher in the arts of ninjitsu, I could tell you carry a heavy weight on your shoulders. Do you wish to talk about it?"

She looked at her leg cast dejectedly. "Sensei, I have failed you. Despite all your teachings to the contrary, I rushed into that fight without first observing and determining what I was up against. And in my foolishness I was injured and now I cannot fulfill my duty as your protector."

The wizened old man nodded, and Yori thought she could see a smile beneath his long white beard and mustache. "Do not trouble yourself over this matter, Yori. Even the greatest maple of the forest must carry the scars of past fires before it may be considered truly strong. Like that maple, you must learn from this experience. Like the maple covers its burns with new bark, you must now cover your new scars, both physical and mental, with the knowledge you have gained from this encounter."

Yori nodded, but the Yamanouchi teacher could see the worry still lingering.

"Is there more, Yori?"

The young kunoichi sighed. "Sensei, I have put great dedication into perfecting my skills, yet I still fell to them. Even when I have taken on dozens of Monkey Fist's ninjas with no difficulty before, it took only _nine_ to defeat me this time." The way she said the number made it crystal clear to her teacher just how much shame the young woman was feeling. "Why did I fall so easily?"

Sensei nodded. "Yori, you have trained hard, and your abilities continue to improve each day. However, recently you have been practicing with the wrong frame of mind. In order to achieve the level of skill you seek in battle, you must train your mind to be calm as the blooming of the lilies and as serene as the quiet brook during the honing of your techniques. Only a person who does this may become the true ninja they were meant to be, for only a serene state of mind may be emulated both in the practice ring and in situations where you are forced to fight for real circumstances. Any other emotion, be it anger, sorrow, vengeance…or even the denial of blooming feelings of love, cannot be contained and therefore cannot be controlled, making transfer from training to combat the same as moving the mountain with chopsticks."

Yori's eyes shut closed and her head dipped lower, the shame of Sensei seeing through to her heart a heavy burden on her shoulders. However, her head popped up in surprise at what her teacher said next.

"Yori, the path to peace of the soul and discipline of the mind lies not in denial of what the heart wants, but in the acceptance of that need. If you deny that which drives your heart, you deny the very essence of yourself. Though it is sometimes clouded and is often easily misunderstood, only one's heart tells the truth of what the soul tells one they must do. As you regain your strength, train yourself to listen to what it tells you. However, I offer this word of warning as well: do not try to bend what you hear to suit that which you think you desire. If you do, it will take you down a dark path that leads only to trial and sorrow."

With that, he bowed to the young woman and left, leaving her alone to ponder his mysterious words.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

In the hallway just outside, Sensei found a person he'd expected to find inside. However, the young man appeared to be hesitant to enter his close friend's room.

"Something troubles you, Hirotaka?" the elder teacher said with concern.

The shinobi shrugged with an uncharacteristic lack of confidence. "I do not know, Master Sensei. There are things I wish to talk to Yori about, and yet I feel her heart is elsewhere and she would not hear my words."

Sensei smiled. "My student, the turtle may stay comfortable in the safety of his shell, but only when he extends his neck outside may he partake of the adventure of life."

Hirotaka sighed and nodded. "I know this, Sensei, but the rabbit who chooses to leave his burrow without looking will become the breakfast of the cunning fox."

The Yamanouchi leader smiled—of all his students, only Hirotaka ever seemed willing to try to match sayings with him. Most of the residents of the school, the teachers included, seemed to think it was a sign of disrespect, but Sensei valued that there was at least someone who didn't simply adhere to his wisdom by default of him being the head instructor at the Yamanouchi School. Instead, Hirotaka seemed to sense that only by questioning the world did one learn the answers they sought. He nodded wisely.

"That is true, my student, but also keep in mind that that same rabbit will perish from hunger if he never raises his courage enough to leave the safety of that home."

Hirotaka bowed respectfully, and Sensei could tell his words had made their intended impression. He turned to walk towards his quarters, pausing just out of sight to glance back at the door where Hirotaka was still barely peeking through. Though his smile was not from watching the young man battle with his doubts, there was a light to his eyes at the prospect that had been developing ever since his two brightest students had returned to the school. At first, he had debated whether it was wise to send them on the mission alone together, but now he saw the wisdom of the vision that had inspired him to do so.

_My students: be as the bird on the wind, and do not resist the air currents that presently carry you._

_

* * *

_

The next morning, Ron arrived early at the Possible household—so early, in fact, that Kim was not yet awake. However, there were other things on the young man's mind this day, including a chat he felt he needed to have with his future father-in-law. And since he knew from experience that James Possible was normally awake a good hour before the rest of his family, Kim included, Ron decided it would be the perfect opportunity to get the issue off his chest.

"Morning, Mr. Dr. P. Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked as Kim's dad opened the door at his knock.

James smiled. "Sure, Ronald. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

The young man shook his head. "No thanks. Just recently developed a taste for cappuccinos from the Blue Wolf, but coffee still tastes like the mystery meat gravy from Middleton High's cafeteria to me."

James smiled. "I understand that. Still remember eating the stuff when I graduated from Middleton back in '78. And to be honest, Kim's mother still doesn't realize I can only drink the stuff if I have a little coffee with my sugar."

Ron laughed quietly, well aware that the rest of the Possible family was still fast asleep in other parts of the house. "Actually, it was Kim's mom I wanted to talk to you about."

The older man nodded. "Trying to understand Kimmie-cub by observing her mother, huh?"

"Yeah," Ron replied, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervously apprehensive manner. "I was just wondering…do you and Mrs. Dr. P. ever get into fights? With each other, I mean?"

James inwardly cringed, though he did his absolute best to hide it. In point of fact, he and Anne had had a verbal fight not a week earlier when Kim had informed them that she and Ron were sharing a bed at his grandparents' house. Though James had been trying hard to come to terms with the fact that his little girl was growing up and not, as Anne so often put it, "four years old with pig-tails" anymore. However, the idea of her sharing a bed with any man, even her fiancé, before she was married still ground his beans pretty hard. He could still vividly remember the discussion that had taken place, thankfully while Jim and Tim were still out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping and he and Anne were at home by themselves…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Anne, how can you be so calm about this?" he'd asked in a slightly raised tone as he followed her down the stairs while she carried a basket of laundry. "Our daughter is sharing a bed with a young man she's not yet married to!"

However, Anne Possible had displayed the same fiery spirit James had fallen in love with over twenty-two years earlier when she turned around in the living room at the bottom of the stairs and challenged him. "Because, James, I remember that that same young man is the one she's _agreed_ to marry. And I also know that those two are smart enough to make the right choices."

"Right choices?" James had spluttered, nearly tripping down the last few steps. "Anne, they shouldn't even be putting themselves in a position to make those choices yet. She's just barely eighteen!"

Blue eyes flashed as a laundry basket dropped to the ground and hands flew to hips. "That's right, James, she is _eighteen_! She's a legal adult who can make her own choices. She may be our little girl, but she is also a grown young woman. And I trust that she has learned from us what she should and shouldn't do. Just like I trust that Ron has learned the same things from his parents. After five years of them being together, I can't believe you still don't trust her to do what's right!"

"What are you talking about?" James had spat with more fire than he meant. However, he took a deep breath and repeated himself, this time a little calmer. "I don't get what you mean, Anne. They've only been together for a year and a half."

His wife had shaken her head. "James, sometimes I find it amazing that you're a rocket scientist with as much as you don't use your common sense. Think about it for two seconds. All those missions she went on without any sort of adult supervision whatsoever, who did she take with her? How many times did she remark about how it was nice to be able to snuggle with Ron in the back of some cold, drafty cargo plane or on some rickety boat? I may not be an expert on airplanes, boats, or other means of travel, but I can guarantee they had the opportunity to do things of an intimate nature while they were heading to and from their missions."

James's voice had risen again as the realization dawned on him. "You mean to tell me that Kimberly and that boy have…"

Anne had gotten right in his face in an instant. "James Timothy Possible, if you finish that sentence, you might as well make up this couch until the end of the year. You know perfectly well that our daughter and that wonderful _young_ _man_ haven't done that yet, and I'm shocked that you would think they have! And what about that incident they went through at the Middleton Galleria and Hotel this summer while Kimmie wasn't herself? If that tells you anything, it should have confirmed that they haven't taken things that far yet. Or don't you trust them?"

As he tried to think of a retort, Dr. Possible had thought about what exactly he was saying. And the more he thought about it, the feebler any reply he could come up with sounded. After a tense moment, his shoulders slumped, and he sagged down onto the sofa.

"It's not that I don't trust them, Anne. I do. But I also remember what it was like for us at their age. I mean, we could barely keep our hands off each other, and we both know Ron and Kimmie are a lot further along than we were."

Anne had smiled and pushed the laundry basket out the walkway before joining him on the couch. "James, they may be a bit closer than we were love-wise, but I can also tell they're a lot more behind where we were when it comes to the physical aspect. Now this is just an observation, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a hidden pinch of the butt between them. And before you overreact, Kim's been the one to pull four of them. Why, after our first three dates, I think we failed to go three days without one of us flirting in a physical manner. Yes, our daughter may be further along with the emotional aspect in her relationship with her future husband, but I would be willing to guarantee that they still get nervous if there's even a brush of intimate contact."

James's grin was just barely enough to be remotely considered in the half-hearted range. "I can see that too, I guess. I just wish she didn't have to grow up so fast."

"Me too, Jimmy. Me too."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Now, the very person that had caused the worry that started that fight was asking if he and Anne ever fought, and James found himself in a place he wasn't very well acquainted with…the land of confusion when it came to his daughter and her future husband.

"All couples have disagreements, Ronald. Especially married ones. Why do you ask?"

Ron sighed. "It just seems that me and KP have been arguing a lot lately, and I hate hurting her like that. I know we've both said some things we didn't mean, and I can tell some of the stuff I've said really hurts her even when she doesn't admit it. But for some reason I get so worked up that they just come spilling out."

James smiled as comprehension came to him. "Ronald, before I answer, tell me what you're fighting about: big things or little things."

The young man's head lolled back as he took a deep breath. "Big things I guess. Like this week we had a fight about this whole "Monkey Fist Revival" problem we're currently facing. I've been getting stressed because it seems like they're only targeting me and my family, which I know is selfish considering you and your family have been dealing with it ever since we started going up against the big bad guys. But I guess I've never really stopped to think about it before. Now it's happening so much lately that it keeps stressing me out. I try to keep it contained but it keeps needing an outlet, and it seems like Kim keeps getting both barrels of the blast."

His head came forward and hit the table so hard it shook for a bit, and James was surprised the furniture didn't crack. Both sat there for a moment in silence, though Dr. Possible's was more out of loss at what to say than not saying anything at all. He'd been tempted to admonish the young man before him for his blindness to the situation the Possible family had been dealing with. However, seeing the action of forehead meeting hard surface showed Kim's father the apparent depth of Ron's guilt on the matter. As such, he sat there silently for a moment, observing the blonde and carefully formulating how to phrase his response.

"Ronald, I don't pretend to have the best advice on this matter," he said with a sigh. "And to be honest, Kim's mother is normally the one with the good counsel on stuff like this. However, I think part of the reason you wanted to talk to me about this was to get the man's perspective on it. And to that I would say the best thing you can do is do your best to help her realize you don't ever intend to hurt her. I will tell you it will happen sometimes, even when you don't mean it to, for the pure and simple reason that they are women and we're men. But at the same time you also need to do your best to make it up to her when it does happen."

Ron smiled a bit. "So what do you do when you mess up with Mrs. Dr. P.?"

James shook his head. "Ronald, I wish I could tell you it's that simple, but I can't. Kim isn't her mother, and the same things that cheer Anne up when we have an argument most likely aren't going to work on Kim. The two of them may be similar, but there are definite differences. And I don't think you'll realize just how different a girl and her mother can be until you have a daughter of your own."

Ron laughed nervously at the comment. In point of fact he'd already met one of his children that summer in his daughter-from-the-future Julie Anne Stoppable, and the experience did nothing to clarify James Possible's explanation. To Ron the adventurous, time-traveling young blonde girl and Kim had seemed like they could almost be Siamese twins in the way they acted. Of course Ron had to remind himself that both had been in their late teens, and that Kim could change some between now and then. But based on what he knew, he'd assumed that most girls would be like their mothers in some manner.

However, since Kim's dad wasn't supposed to know that June and Xander had ever appeared in this time, Ron merely nodded, and said nothing else on the subject. Instead he offered to fix up a breakfast for the Possibles. It was a suggestion which James graciously accepted, his own mind having also made the decision that the subject had reached a bit of uncomfortable territory he wasn't yet ready to discuss with the young man. A short while later, the smell of the pancakes and bacon finishing up their sizzling brought Anne and the twins down the stairs, and Kim wasn't more than a few minutes behind them. The Possible daughter was already cleaned and dressed, having guessed from the smells drifting up to her loft bedroom that her love was the one rustling around the kitchen. When she entered, she greeted him with a peck on the lips, and her parents smiled while the twins engaged in a bit of overly dramatized retching. However, Kim shot them a knowing look, and they both uncharacteristically shut up quickly.

After the meal, Kim motioned for Ron to come up to her room. James started to protest until Kim assured her father it was for something mission-related, and would only take a short bit. He seemed to calm a little at that, and the two headed up to her loft bedroom. Once inside, Kim pulled out her laptop and set it up on her desk before contacting Wade. A few minutes later, the tech genius came on the screen.

"What's up, Kim? Oh, hey Ron."

"Hey, Wade," the young man replied. "How was your Christmas?"

Wade shrugged. "Same old, same old, I guess. It was a little different with Monique and her brother spending it with us, but pretty much the same otherwise. Monique was a little upset that Viktor never stopped by like he said he was going to, although he did call and apologize to her for over an hour." The tech genius's voice seemed to carry a polite disrespect as he said the last part, but neither Kim nor Ron felt comfortable commenting that they had noticed it.

"Sounds like a rough time," Ron stated with a knowing but respectfully silent look. Even if he weren't friends with the young man, he would still be able to tell Wade still held feelings for the young woman that were currently being left unreturned.

Kim shook her head. "Focus, guys," she said, trying to change the subject. "Wade, Betty contacted me last night about the WEE attacking G.V.U. sometime next week and about our recent excursion to Italy. Unfortunately I was about to fall asleep when she called, so she said to call her back this morning."

Wade nodded his understanding. "So you want me to patch you guys through?"

Kim nodded. "Please and thank you. And I'd also like you to do an under the radar monitoring of the conversation. Something about how she was acting last night tells me there's more going on here than she was willing to share."

Wade looked apprehensive but smiled his agreement. "Well, if you think it's a good idea, Kim…"

Kim shook her head. "I don't, but it also seems like something that needs to be done. Same rules as you followed when we asked you to research the connection between Global Justice and the Godfreys."

The tech genius frowned. "Kim, about what I found…I think you need to know about it before you go into this meeting. Especially if she wants to talk to you about what happened in Venice."

Ron also frowned. "Something wrong, man?"

"Actually, yeah. But first let me ask you guys something—did you ever wonder why Sheila kept walking away from everything that happened to her with nothing more than a few scratches and the occasional bump and bruise?"

Kim nodded. "A few times, but we just thought it had to do with the glow powers the comet gave her and her brothers."

Wade shook his head. "Not entirely. Evidently when they were younger, and before the comet hit, Dr. Sheridan Godfrey doused them with a formula she developed. It made it so that when their heart rate gets elevated they heal a lot faster than most people—even if the injury would be life-threatening or fatal to a normal person, Sheila and her brothers will recover from it like it was a paper cut. It's part of the reason they even survived the comet striking their tree house in the first place."

Kim and Ron looked at each other, shocked looks on both their faces. Although the woman had seemed a bit more like Sheila when she was still evil in her attitude, neither of them had gotten the impression that Sheridan Godfrey would willingly put her children's lives in danger with an untested serum. Evidently Wade could read this in their expressions, as he quickly continued.

"Dr. Godfrey was forced to use it on them by the Risattis, and that's when she split from using their support to further her research. And it's also apparently one of the reasons she and Heathcliff left the country. The problem is that Global Justice wants that formula now, and I'd be willing to bet that the same ones who would have replaced Betty with Gerhardt are the ones who want it."

Kim frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Wade, these wouldn't happen to be the same people who tried to force Ron and me to go to different colleges if we didn't choose to go to G.V.U. together would they?"

Ron put his hand on her shoulder. "KP, I personally would like to think that was Gerhardt himself. When I talked to the person above Dr. Director this summer just after you got turned evil, it sounded like they weren't involved in that bit of deception. And even if they were, Betty did everything she could to keep us together by keeping us both on the register of people entering G.V.U. this past September."

Kim's frown disappeared, but a smile did not replace it. "Wade, I don't like this. There's something ferociously messed up with this sitch, and it's really starting to bug me. I…I want you to do a full sweep of the Global Justice mainframe. Find anything with any of our names on it. And include both Rufus and Joss on that search. I want to know about everything they have going that involves us."

Wade's eyes went wide. "Kim, that's completely unethical! Even more so than the chips and the cameras on both your houses!"

Ron also looked shocked. "KP, what are you thinking? G.J.'s on our side, remember?"

Kim looked at both of them, understanding their shock quite well as her own conscience was screaming at her most fervently. "You think I want to do this? I know Global Justice is supposed to be on our team on most things, but lately I've been feeling like they've been treating us like we're nothing more than puppets for them to play with. And frankly I'm tired of it. So I want to know what plans they have for us so we can be prepared for whatever they decide to do next."

Ron looked at her for a second before he nodded, and then he turned towards Wade. "She's got a point, man."

The tech genius sighed. "Okay. But this is going to take time, guys. It's also going to take a lot of server hopping so they don't know I'm the one doing it. It's going to slow the search but it's necessary, especially if I'm right about them tracking what I've been doing lately."

Kim nodded grimly. "Understandable, Wade. Just make sure you're thorough about this. I'm talking anything, new or old, that even remotely mentions any or all of us."

"Right. But back to why you called. Do you want me to patch you two through to Dr. Director now, or do you want to cool off first?"

The red-head shook her head. "No, we need to do this now. Especially if the WEE is going to attack next week."

Wade nodded, and they saw him press a button. A few seconds later, his face warped into a blur before the screen settled back down, this time showing Dr. Director's face. She looked like she had been expecting the call, her hands folded tent-like in front of her face.

"Kim. And Ron, too. Good, I was hoping this would involve both of you. There is a lot we have to talk about."

Kim nodded. "I'll say there is, Betty. First things first, we know why you're so interested in our mission to pull the Godfreys out of Venice. And I'll tell you right now we don't know anything about Sheridan Godfrey's formula."

It didn't look like Betty was smiling, though it was hard to tell. "I didn't think you would, Kimberly. And that's actually not why I wanted to discuss that one."

"Then why did you?" Ron replied confusedly.

Betty kept her mouth hidden behind her folded hands, but she appeared to gain a smiling quality to her good eye. "The reason I wanted to talk about that one has to do with the speed with which you managed to not only find them but also convince them to return to the United States. Everything I had on the situation said they were trying to avoid being detected."

Kim knew there was more, but she decided for the sake of gathering information and keeping things amicable to keep the conversation going. "We simply told them the truth—that the reason we had come to get them was because Sheila asked us to. Then when the Risattis found them by following us, Heathcliff and Sheridan decided it would be best to come back with us."

A trace of something flashed across the Global Justice leader's face, but it was gone so fast that Kim and Ron weren't entirely sure they'd seen it at all. There was a long period of silence before she spoke again, lowering her hands at last to lay them flat on her desk.

"Very well, I think that answers everything concerning that file, or at least enough to satisfy my superiors. Now then, about Gemini, Gerhardt, and what the WEE plans to do at G.V.U. in the coming weeks…"

"Wait a minute. KP told me that when you called her last night you said you knew the attack was going to happen the in the first week we're back on campus," Ron interrupted with a frown.

Betty turned her head to the side, as if she'd made an error she didn't want to confess to. "Unfortunately, we found out after I contacted you last night that our informant on the inside has possibly been discovered. If that's the case, there's no way to know if the WEE is feeding this person false information to make them think the attack they are supposed to participate in is happening on a different night."

Kim's eyes narrowed as she put the pieces together. "Wait…'This person?' So then this informant you have is someone we know at G.V.U., aren't they?"

The older woman tried unsuccessfully to hide her surprise. "How…never mind. I should have guessed you'd figure it out. Unfortunately, I can't tell you who this person is just in case the suspicion that they have been discovered to be spying for us turns out to be baseless. I do have a request of you, however. I understand your cousin Jossilyn Michelle Possible has joined your team?"

Ron nodded. "Yes, she did, but she's still working her way up, just like we did when we started."

"Meaning she's not ready for something like this," Kim added with a snap to her voice. "So the answer's no."

Betty frowned. "Kim, I don't think you grasp the gravity of what's about to happen. Right now, as we speak, we know that there are planted WEE agents all across both the G.V.U. faculty and the student body. At this point, we can't be sure who we can trust, and that puts us in a very precarious position. To make matters worse, there are only a handful of actual G.J. agents on that campus with any sort of combat training, and there's no way for me to know which of them are working for us and which of them have transferred their loyalty to my brother and Gerhardt. We need people we _know_ we can count on to be on our side when this thing hits."

Kim shook her head. "Betty, I get that. I do. But I also know that if something happens to me or Ron, I can live with it, because we agreed to live this life a long time ago. Joss is new to this, and I'm telling you she's not ready for something of this magnitude."

A single good eye stared at the red-head from the computer screen. "Kim, there are…_others_ I could contact about this to ask them for their assistance, but I would rather have all of Team Possible on this before I call that group in. To be honest, I trust you more than I trust them, mainly because you, Ron, Wade, and Rufus have the proven track record of doing the job the right way. And Joss has that same credibility based on the approval she receives from the rest of you. I know that I can trust the five of you to only do what's necessary to get through this, and I would rather have that protecting the innocent students and faculty of G.V.U. who are no doubt going to be in danger of being caught in the crossfire during when this goes down."

Now Kim's weird-ar started pinging so high it would have busted if it were something tangible like a thermometer. And from glancing at Ron, at the look he had hidden on his face but couldn't remove from his eyes, she could tell his senses were going off like crazy as well.

"You know, you're asking us to do a lot on blind faith here," he said with a frown.

"Yeah," Kim chimed in. "We're supposed to be on the same side here."

Betty frowned. "You think I like this anymore than you do? I wish I could tell you more, but I've told you everything I can on the matter at this point. Now, are you willing to help us out or not?"

Kim's smile was anything but satisfied in nature. "Alright, we're in. But I'm only committing Joss to this as a back-up. She's not going to be called in on this unless we determine we absolutely have to have her. And Ron, Wade, or I are the ones who make that call, something I will be informing her of."

Thinking quickly, Ron piped up. "And we want your word that you won't pull her in unless we give the okay. No tricking her into coming."

The Global Justice leader nodded. "Done," she replied firmly. "And just warning you, this thing is going to get messy before it's all over."

Kim cocked an eyebrow of non-amusement. "It already is, Betty."

Dr. Director nodded her understanding of the veiled accusation, and smiled apologetically as the connection was severed. Five minutes passed with a blank screen before Wade popped back up.

"Sorry for the delay, guys. They were watching the connection to make sure I wasn't using it to monitor the conference or taking the opportunity to snoop around without them knowing."

Kim nodded. "So they don't fully trust us just like we don't fully trust them. Well, at least now we have some idea of where we stand and the sitch we're facing. And speaking of snooping, did you happen to find anything?"

"Negative, Kim," the tech genius replied. "And I get the feeling I'm not going to find anything about the WEE attack before it happens. There's just too much on their servers, and if Dr. Director's right we don't have the time."

The red-head smiled a bit. "It's okay, Wade. Just remember I want to know about anything they've got on us."

"On it," Wade replied with a sigh before he severed the connection.

Kim turned towards her fiancé. "Guess you were right about the good ol' days being gone, Ron."

The young man returned her smile a bit, more out of regretful agreement than anything else. "To tell the truth, KP, I wish I wasn't."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Can we confirm that he was accessing files?" Dr. Director said with a frown.

Tech Agent Stracynski shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. There was a second hack going on at the same time that posed more of a threat, and they were accessing files that have nothing to do with Team Possible. Also, if the first invader was Wade Load, he was somehow bouncing his signal around and doing multiple digs to hide what he was really after. Neither of those are part of his normal hacking methods."

Betty leaned back in her chair agitatedly. "The signal bouncing could still be him, so monitor that closely. As for the rest, I want you and your team to tighten our security measures, firewalls, and virus traps. And I want to know about all future outside attempts to access our files, even if it's only accessing our records of our weekly office pools."

"Yes, Ma'am," the tech replied as he exited the office.

Dr. Director leaned back farther, closing her eyes and attempting to let her stress evaporate away. The conference with Team Possible hadn't gone at all like she planned. For one thing, Kim and Ron knew about Dr. Godfrey's formula, and would probably not be any help in resolving that problem. And though she'd managed to procure their full help and cooperation for the coming attack on G.V.U., neither had seemed incredibly happy to be left out of the loop. She smiled a little as she remembered thinking long ago how great it would be to work with them when they were a little more seasoned, a little more experienced, and a little less naïve to the reality of this business.

_Well, Betty,_ she thought wryly, _be careful what you wish for._

_

* * *

_

New Year's came and went with relatively little incident. The Possibles and Stoppables got together for their usual watch of the countdown, and the parents and the newly-engaged shared the New Year's Kiss at midnight. Kim also got a little bit of revenge on her brothers when Jim's girlfriend Kara Matthews and Tim's girlfriend Elena Flores stopped by to join in on the fun, teasing them just a bit about the tradition they didn't seem to eager to take part in. As it turned out, both girls had been skipped ahead themselves like the twins had the year before, and were both in ninth grade despite being a year younger than the Possible boys. Kim remembered wryly how she had had trouble with her brothers going to school with her, and wondered what Zita and Tara thought about their sisters being skipped ahead. Granted, both her friends were in the Class of 2006 like she and Ron had been, and hadn't had to deal with the same sitch of going to school with their younger siblings, but it still would have been nice to ask someone else what their view of the S.K.I.P. Program was.

The following weekend was the end of the winter break at G.V.U., and Kim and Ron moved back into their dorm rooms to start the second semester. Since it was a new set of classes everyone had new schedules to get used to, and Kim and Ron were no exception. Thankfully, they could help each other out as they not only had plenty of classes together but had somehow ended up once again having similar schedules. Of course they'd known they were going to have their "Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. – Session II" class together, as that class would be pretty much the same it had been during the fall. The same could be said for their Honors Freshman English II class. They also lucked out and ended up with the same teachers they'd had for the first installments—Katie Ryan and Chris Barkin, respectively.

However, part of having the same schedule turned out to be pure luck. For Ron's part, his schedule was pretty much set up for him because of the classes he was taking for his major and his minor. Kim, however, had found herself stuck taking what was available after those with majors set up their schedules. It had seemed unlucky at the time, but the schedules had worked out to where she could take the classes she hadn't designed to be with Ron while he was taking his degree-related courses. There was one downside to not having picked what to study, however, that she learned about when she found a note slipped under her and Monique's door when they got back from the break on Saturday, the 6th of January.

_Miss Possible,  
Please come to the counselor's office this afternoon to discuss your schedule for the coming semester.  
Mrs. Jackson – Office of Academics_

"What's that about, KP?" Ron asked as he set down the last of her stuff from the Sloth while she showed the note to Monique.

Kim grimaced. "Sounds like something I signed up for didn't pan out. Either that or it has a prerequisite I haven't taken yet."

"But didn't you check all the required classes before you signed up?" Monique replied with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, I did," the red-head answered. "Not really sure what it's all about."

When she entered the office of the academic adviser, Kim did her best to smile. Because she hadn't yet picked a major she was considered part of the general studies group, meaning she'd yet to meet with the same academic adviser twice. And today was no exception, as it was a grey-haired lady with large glasses that Kim had never seen before sitting there behind the desk, smiling a grin that put Rufus to shame with how buck-toothed it was.

"Mrs. Jackson?" Kim asked.

"Yes, that's me," the woman replied in an overly saccharine voice. "Please have a seat, Miss Possible."

Kim sat down while the woman shuffled papers around for another ten, long, drawn-out minutes. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of useless moving around of various notes and scraps, the lady seemed relatively happy with the clutter of materials, and fixed her stare on the young woman before her.

"Now then, Miss Possible. It seems there is a slight problem with your scheduling. You signed up for the…," she pulled a sheet off a random pile, "'Introduction to Diplomacy' class meeting from 8:30 until 9:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, correct?"

Kim nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I was looking at possibly declaring my major as International Relations, but wanted to make sure I'd like it before I did that."

Mrs. Jackson smiled. "Well unfortunately dear, because that class is a limited offering it caters to students whose majors require it before it goes to students who are undeclared. And although you were only the third in line to sign up for it, there were only two spots left for undeclared students. Now, do you wish to reconfigure your schedule, or look at what's still open for the time slots you have available?"

Kim thought for a moment. She could actually reconfigure without much trouble, but she also wanted to keep taking classes with Ron. She tossed the choices back and forth in her mind for a few minutes, weighing the pros and cons of each. The entire time, the academic adviser kept smiling at her toothily. Finally, she came to a decision.

"What's available at that slot?"

Mrs. Jackson shuffled a few more papers off her keyboard and pulled up the class list. "Let's see. Well, unfortunately that slot is pretty crammed up as far as what you can take as an undeclared major and as a freshman. It looks like there is a Creative Writing class, a couple of Fitness courses, and several basic level courses that are available."

Kim tried to smile as understandingly as she could. "Are there any Honors level courses?"

The woman shook her head. "Unfortunately all the honors courses meeting at that time are full."

_So it's down to a Fitness course or a Creative Writing course_, Kim thought before she was struck by another. "Wait, doesn't my cheerleading cancel out the Fitness course?"

Mrs. Jackson shook her head. "No, it doesn't, but if you're also a cheerleader, I would recommend taking the Concepts of Fitness course in the fall. A lot of that course isn't the type of stuff you can easily make up, and it would be easier for you to maintain a high grade if you took it during football season instead of basketball season."

Kim smiled. "Well then, I guess I'm taking the Creative Writing course."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Kim Possible the writer," Monique remarked as she and Felix joined Kim and Ron for dinner that night in Sentinel Station. "Got to admit the idea has a nice ring to it, girl."

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Mon, it's not like I'm going to major in that. I actually got kind of pigeonholed into it by the rest of my schedule and what was still available. Not having a declared major finally came back to bite me."

Ron smiled. "You know you could have rearranged your schedule, KP. I wouldn't have minded."

Kim smiled and bumped her shoulder affectionately against his. "Thanks, Ronnie, but it's really not that big a deal. Besides, there's no guarantee I could have gotten into anything better. Besides, I can always take the Intro to Diplomacy course next fall."

Felix swallowed a rather large bite of his burger. "So you think that's what you're gonna major in, then?"

The red-head shrugged as she forked another bite of her salad and dipped it in the small bowl of ranch dressing she had sitting on the side. "Maybe. I mean, I know I've thought about what it might be like to actually get paid for going all over the world. Of course, the problem with doing that job is exactly that, because it would mean I'm probably gone from home a lot. And it wouldn't be like now where I can pick and choose what to do and when—I'd have to go where they send me when they send me. Not to mention I'd be away from my husband a lot."

Ron grinned. "We could still make things work."

Kim shook her head. "Not the point, Ron. I've seen what my parents are like with their mismatched schedules, and that's with their jobs being in the same city. No matter how hard they try, their plans get interrupted a lot because Mom has to spend a lot of time being on-call for emergencies. Throw in Dad's habit of burning the midnight oil, and it makes things hard on them. They can make it work because of their personalities and who they are, but I know from watching them that it's not something I'm looking for."

Ron was about to reply when his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open wide enough to lose the bite of Philly cheese-steak sandwich he'd gotten from the Sentry's Post. Kim looked at him oddly while Monique turned around to follow his eyes to what had caused him to stop eating. When she did, she nearly spit out her drink in surprise.

"What is _she_ doing back here?" the African-American beauty hissed.

"Who?" Kim asked as she glanced over the top of her BFF's head.

Then she saw it. There was no mistaking that tanned skin, platinum-blonde hair, or air of feeling she deserved the best the world had to offer. Kim frowned deeply, her fist clenching so hard it snapped her plastic fork in two.

"Rachael," she snarled. "I _thought_ she was supposed to be in jail for what she pulled at Halloween."

"Ugh, Garreth!" Rufus sniped, adding some none too polite mole rat noises on the end which the four young people were pretty sure represented some not-so-nice phrasing if translated to human language.

Felix also frowned. "Hate to tell you this Kim, but she got acquitted for it because the police mishandled the evidence. My dad was the prosecuting attorney on the case, and he said he had it all wrapped up until it was revealed the cops who reported to the scene didn't follow proper procedure for processing the cup you were using at the party or the Everclear they found in her jacket. Not to mention one of them snuck some of the alcohol for himself. Plus, they never proved she was the one who put the drugs in Kim's cup, so all my dad had to go on was trying to prove she was guilty of spiking your drinks with the alcohol. And the jury ended up hitting a not-guilty because of the mishandling."

Ron's expression was hard as steel as he glared at the girl. "So she walked? And no one told us?"

Felix shook his head. "They only wrapped up today, man. Dad called me not five minutes before we came over here to tell me to relay the message to you guys."

Kim frowned. "Ron, you don't think she's part of the WEE group, do you?"

Ron shook his head. "I don't think so, KP. Still, it does seem odd that she'd return just when the attack is about take place."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

A few tables away, a young man nearly choked on his food. Turning around carefully, he eyed the blonde and red-head he was tailing. If he'd heard right, Team Possible had somehow learned of the coming attack on the G.V.U. campus. Carefully and quietly, so as not to arouse suspicion, he rose from his seat and deposited the rest of his meal in the trash. Then he quickly walked out of the building, heading for an apartment off campus. When he arrived, he knocked fervently, hoping the occupant who rented the place was available. Though he was glad when the person answered, his frown remained.

"They know about the attack, Agent One."

"Are you positive, Agent Four?" the blonde said with a glare.

"I'm serious, V. I heard them say it plain as day."

"And your positive about this?" came a voice from the living room thick with Russian accent.

Agent Four entered the room, and found the last person he'd expected to see staying this close to the campus, even with the impending attack drawing closer.

"Affirmative, Agent Alpha," the young man said with a salute. "I don't know how they found out, but both Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are aware that we will be attacking the campus sometime this week."

Gerhardt's face was not easily readable, though his dark mustache was twitching. "Do they know the day?"

Agent Four shook his head. "No. It sounds like they only have it pinned to this week."

The smile increased. "Good. Then the plans do not change. Proceed as scheduled."

"Yes, Agent Alpha," the young man said before he quickly left.

No sooner had he left than Gerhardt turned towards Agent One. "And you are certain you will have no problems turning on her?"

The blonde sneered. "She was merely a tool to further the great plans of Gemini and the WEE, Agent Alpha. It will be no trouble. In fact, I shall take great pleasure in tearing her world apart."

"Good," Gerhardt replied with a smile. "Proceed with the Final Stage. It is time to close our grip on those pathetic, so-called heroes."

* * *

a/n

_So things are heating up here, and Team Possible could be caught in the middle of a war. But who can they trust, and who's been put in their lives by those who wish them harm? And who's heading for a heartbreak, and who's going to have a decision to make? Finally, what is the objective Global Justice hopes to achieve out of all this? All of these lingering questions will be answered soon._

_Also, for those wondering, I've been given a tentative cast removal of January 10th. However as this chapter (done entirely in casts) proves, that doesn't seem to be affecting me too terribly much. Still, it'll be nice to get the use of those fingers back, as it is a pain to hunt and peck with only six working fingers. (Left index and right index, middle, and ring are the ones in casts in case your wondering.) But, hey, it could have been a lot worse, so I won't complain too much. :)_

_As always, comments and reviews are greatly appreciated. :) They let me know you guys are still enjoying this thing._


	32. Chapter 32

A/N

Chapter 32 is up and running!

- Kim and Ron start the second semester at G.V.U., and a few unexpected things are making their presence known.

- The anticipated WEE attack begins, and it will hold some surprises for Team Possible, including a couple of blows that hit close to the heart...

- During the fight, something goes wrong, however, and it spells trouble for the future.

- And afterwards leaves more questions than answers...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

No sooner had he left than Gerhardt turned towards Agent One. "And you are certain you will have no problems turning on her?"

The blonde sneered. "She was merely a tool to further the great plans of Gemini and the WEE, Agent Alpha. It will be no trouble. In fact, I shall take great pleasure in tearing her world apart."

"Good," Gerhardt replied with a smile. "Proceed with the Final Stage. It is time to close our grip on those pathetic, so-called heroes."

* * *

The first week of classes was unusually slow, even for the start of a semester. All the students seemed to be dragging around the campus, almost as if they couldn't believe the winter holidays had been so short. Even those with packed full schedules were finding the task of getting back into the swing of things difficult. Even Kim and Ron were having a hard time getting their motivations back up.

Of course, some of that may have had to do with the lack of nuance to the G.V.U. campus since they were no longer completely green freshmen. During the first semester there had been the rush of university life to get used to, not to mention the constant advances of people trying to split them up…and of course the attack Dementor had made on the campus in September. But with the finally public announcement of their engagement and the fact that that they now had a full semester under their belts, things had slowed down considerably. Ron actually made one ill-advised joke about the lack of interesting things happening, resulting in almost a full evening of the cold shoulder from his tweaked fiancée. Still, even Kim had to admit the spring semester was off to a bit of a boring start compared to the fall version when they returned to Patriot Towers after their respective practices on Friday afternoon.

It wasn't that the class schedules they'd signed up for were boring—far from it actually. From the moment the alarms rang on Monday they were off and running. And thankfully they had the exact same schedules Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The day started with the Honors Freshman English II class from 8:00 – 8:50, in which they once again ended up with Monique and Felix as classmates, were once again in the Wayland Building, and once again had Professor Chris Barkin as the teacher. And like his brother at Middleton, Professor Barkin lost no time in reminding them they weren't on break anymore by assigning a medium-difficulty paper the first day. Then after an hour break (Kim's idea after the "misprinting of essays" incident), it was off to Hancock Hall and the dreaded Honors Aspects of Government from 10:00 – 10:50, where both Kim and Ron could easily tell that Dr. Ulysses Hyde was less than pleased to see Kim in his class again, and even more irritated that Ron was also taking the same course. This was evidenced further when he called them into his office separately to give them identical talks to the one he'd given to Kim at the start of her Civilizations class. There was an upside when Kim discovered that the new friends she had made in the demon's other class, Drea Saunders and Jason Adams, were both in the class as well. Still, the talk with Dr. Hyde left a bitter taste on the first day that neither she nor Ron could ignore.

"Man, KP, I can see why you don't like him," Ron retorted with a disgusted glance back at Hancock as they headed for Sentinel Station to grab some lunch during the two hour break they had afterwards.

Kim's only response was a pointed "I-told-you-so" look as she walked through the door he held open for her.

Following the break, they found themselves in Quigley Hall again for the spring semester version of the Guardian's S.P.E.A.R. class with pretty much the same classmates they'd had the first time. Both Kim and Ron, as well as Monique and Felix, took note that Katie Ryan seemed a little less upbeat, but the British-born graduate student passed it off as still recovering from the holidays. However, both Kim and Ron also noticed her shooting them some unusual looks all throughout the week. Unfortunately, it always happened at a time when they couldn't ask her about it, so there wasn't really any way for them to know what the half-stares and sideways-glances were all about.

The athletic practices were somewhat different this semester. On Ron's end with football, it was the off-season and had switched more over to the strength and conditioning aspect of training. Most of the players weren't exactly eager to get the conditioning part underway, although a few proved to be pretty good leaders in this aspect, namely Ron, Vinnie, Viktor, and Nate. Ron wasn't at first, but all it took was a little encouraging from Vinnie and Viktor to get the young man to step up his game.

"C'mon, Ron," Vinnie said with a laugh as they ran down the field doing 100-yard wind-sprints. "You can move faster than that."

"Bet he'd move faster if Possible was waiting for him with a tray of Nacos," joked Viktor with a huge smile.

"Just like you and Monique, Vic," the young man replied as he upped the jets a bit. "Or you and Mitzy, Vinnie."

For Kim and her fellow cheerleaders, spring semester meant more focus on basketball games and indoor routines. And unfortunately, the number of basketball games was going to far outweigh the number of football games, and with the distances of the away games there was no way Ron would be able to support her like he had in high school when he wasn't on the team their senior year. At first Kim thought it was going to be a problem, but Ron reassured her he would have plenty to keep him busy. When she asked, he merely pointed out that he figured he and Joss would be getting a lot of the mission calls, and Kim found herself smiling at the prospect of him thinking ahead like that.

"Plus, it'll give me a bit more time to focus on my recipes and stuff," he had added with a grin when they talked about it Monday night.

"Just be sure I get to taste some of that," Kim had supplied, accenting the double meaning of what she said with an alluring grin and a sensuous lick of her lips that made her fiancé just a tad hot under the collar.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, however, they weren't as lucky in the matching schedules department, having only one class together—which apart from breakfast would really be the only time they even got to see each other for more than a few minutes until after their practices. Kim started off in her Creative Writing class, while Ron began the day in another Cooking class, once again taught by the diminutive Chef Angelo. Then it was the one class they had together, Honors Introduction to Literature I, before Ron headed off to his Business Statistics class which split them up for the rest of the day until after 4:00 PM. Kim actually found herself with a little bit of distraction to keep her mind off of the long absence from her love, as she unexpectedly ended up in the same Honors Fine Arts – Visual class as none other than Monique, a discovery she didn't make until the first session of it Tuesday afternoon.

"Should be fun, girl," Monique said with a grin as they sat down that first afternoon. "After all, this will be the first class we've had together where it's just the two of us in it."

"Definitely," agreed Kim. "Don't tell Ron this, but sometimes I miss those art shows I used to go to in high school while I was with Josh. I can't really explain why, but there's just something a bit more intriguing about going to them with someone who can look at the paintings in an educated manner. Not that Ron is less than knowledgeable about art, but it was a different experience with Josh."

"SNM, girl, I completely understand," her BFF said with a smile. "I would imagine it's kind of like going to see a Russian ballet with Viktor."

Kim grinned. "Getting pretty serious with him, huh? Started writing 'Monique Tretiov' in your diary yet?"

Monique's slight blush for a split-second vanished quickly. "DKWYTA, Kim. I am a strong, independent woman…"

"Who's completely crazy over a handsome sophomore cornerback," the red-head teased.

"Well, maybe…" the African-American beauty replied with a dreamy smile. "Speaking of which, do you mind if I have the room Friday night? Viktor's promised me a night I'm never going to forget."

Kim smiled widely. "After what you did for me the night of Ron's birthday you don't even have to ask. Besides, Ron and I were talking about going out on an extended date this weekend anyway. I'm sure he won't mind if we stay in his room instead of mine that night."

"Thanks, girl," Monique replied.

Even with the getting used to new classes, however, Friday afternoon was agonizingly slow in arriving. When Kim and Ron returned to their dorm, it seemed eerily quiet, even for the beginning of the weekend. In fact, the only person they ran into in the normally crowded hallways was Kim's RA Mitzy Drake, who seemed to be walking on a cloud and didn't even see the pair until she nearly ran into them.

"Whoops, sorry you guys," the purple-haired girl said as she adjusted her customary beret. "Guess I should be focusing on walking."

Kim grinned. "It's okay, Mitzy. Seems like you've got something special on your mind."

The RA smiled. "Yeah. Mine and Vinnie's dating anniversary is coming up, and he promised me an unforgettable night this evening."

Ron grinned as the girl entered her room. "Seems like a lot of people are saying that," he said as he gave Kim an affectionate nudge. "Maybe we should do something special as well."

Kim smiled but shook her head. "To be honest, Ron, I'm actually feeling kind of worn out. I think I'd rather just grab a bite to eat and then take a page out of your marinating book and veg out with you and a couple of movies." Then her grin turned sly. "Maybe a little bit of making out thrown in to spice it up."

"Boo Yeah," he replied huskily with a quick pecking kiss.

They dropped their stuff off in his room before deciding to take the Phoenix just off campus to The Outpost, which had become almost as popular for them as Bueno Nacho still was. Ever since they'd discovered it the first week of school, the two of them had taken to eating at the university-styled diner by Bert and Trina at least four times a month, and it seemed like the perfect way to get back in the swing of college life while at the same time recover a little bit from the slow week. And from the smells that emanated from the kitchen as Trina led them to their customary booth, it seemed like Bert was in fine form on this night. In short order, they had placed their selections and had their customary basket of cheese sticks for them and plate of chili-cheese fries for Rufus sitting on the table.

However, they hadn't been at the table waiting for their food for five minutes when both began to get a very odd feeling creeping up their spines. Kim was the first to shiver involuntarily, but Ron wasn't too far behind her.

"Man, chills," Ron quipped as he glanced around a bit, as if expecting a stampede of monkeys similar to what he'd experienced while trapped in an episode of _Ape Island_ by the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer.

"I know," Kim replied, rubbing her arms. "And I know it's not the temperature in here because I'm actually tempted to take off this sweatshirt and just go with the t-shirt underneath."

Then they heard a siren, and saw a police car heading on to the G.V.U. campus. However that wasn't that big a deal, especially for Friday nights. Nor did it click when a second and third squad car entered the campus.

"Maybe one of the frat parties is getting out of control," Ron supplied unsurely.

"Maybe," Kim replied, although the flimsy explanation hadn't convinced her anymore than it had Ron.

However, they certainly took notice when a loud explosion rattled the windows a few moments later!

"Move it, Ron!" Kim shouted, sliding out of her side of the booth so fast she actually skidded a few feet before she found traction.

"Right behind you, KP!" the young man exclaimed as he scooped Rufus out of the chili-cheese fries.

"But what about your food?" Trina called after them, holding the meals in her hands.

"Pay you for that later!" Ron threw over his shoulder as they bolted out the door for the Phoenix.

Kim was already aboard with her helmet in place and revving the engine, and Ron hopped on behind her while jamming his own helmet in place. Kim gunned the acceleration, and they shot over the curb on the road-side of the parking lot, practically vaulting through the intersection in the direction of Patriot Towers. Less than a minute later, they had dashed inside, grabbed their mission gear and a few items they thought they might need, and were sprinting back outside. The moment they were back out in the open air, Kim jammed the call button on her Kimmunicator.

"Major sitch, Wade! Looks like the WEE is making their move as we speak. Need a location and need it ten minutes ago!"

"Got it, Kim!" the tech genius responded, his fingers flying over his keyboards. "It looks like there's a large group of WEE agents gathering near the fountain in the center of the main plaza just outside of Sentinel Station."

"We're on it," she exclaimed as the pair started running in the direction of the student union. "And notify Betty of the sitch immediately."

"Already done," Wade reassured them as they started sprinting towards the Sentinel Station and the main concourse of the campus. As they ran, they could see a large plume of dark smoke beginning to rise against the sunset sky, and had to dodge around several students who were fleeing the scene screaming.

"Any hostages?" Ron yelled over the frenzy happening around them.

"Looks like maybe a couple, but I can't yet tell who they are," Wade confirmed as his jaw set in concentration mode. "Apparently it's just getting started. In fact my systems are just now receiving the police and fire alerts that this isn't a normal situation. Also just got the EMT signal. Whatever this thing is, it's pretty well coordinated and caught the authorities by complete surprise."

Kim nodded. "Got that. How many do you think we're dealing with?"

Wade glanced at his screens. "Looks like a small force at the moment, only about twenty currently. Hard to get exact figures with the students running around in a panic," he said before his face twisted into a snarl. "Just got a focus on the leader, though. And guess who it is."

"Gerhardt," growled Ron. "KP, he's mine. I still owe him for what he did to us."

"Ron, no!" Kim shouted as they came into view of Sentinel Station. "Our first priority right now is protecting the other students, not revenge on that monster!"

However, upon seeing the man who had nearly spoiled everything for them the past summer, Kim had to force herself to rein in her own temper. The uniform may have been the magenta and white of the WEE instead of the navy blue of GJ, but that same self-satisfied smirk under a dark, twitching mustache sat on Ivan Gerhardt's face. And the large muscle-head seemed almost…_proud_ of the fact that he was causing such terror among innocent students. No sooner had they appeared, however, than that maniacal grin instantly flipped upside down.

"Team Possible," he spat in his thick Russian accent. "How predictable that Betty Director would send in amateurs to handle a job that would be better off left to the professionals."

"Check your research," Kim said confidently as they pulled up and she crossed her arms defiantly. "We _are_ the professionals when it comes to scum like you!"

Gerhardt let out a hearty laugh. "Maybe, but we were also counting on Dr. Director's ill-advised confidence in you. Not only are you not prepared for this, but you have also left yourselves wide open for us to conduct our little operation tonight. For example, I'll bet you weren't expecting this little complication in your plans for stopping our operation!"

He made a grand gesture behind him, and two uniformed agents stepped forward, one with a Roman numeral One on his chest and the other with a Roman numeral Three. Both were holding a hostage with their arms pinned behind them and gags in their mouths, and Kim and Ron were shocked to see who they were.

"Monique! Mitzy!" Kim exclaimed in horror as she saw both her BFF and her RA, who she had also grown was very close to, standing there helpless. "Let them go, Gerhardt!" she yelled as both she and Ron dropped into fighting stances, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"Not just yet," Gerhardt replied with a smirk. "For now, they are here to make sure the two of you watch and listen to this without doing anything rash. And by the way, Mr. Stoppable, I'm not stupid. Place the mole rat on the planter next to you where I can see him. And know that if he does anything to stop or hinder us, it will be the same as if you or Miss Possible make the ill-advised move."

Kim glanced over, and saw that Ron had been slipping Rufus silently out of his pocket, apparently about to try something. Thinking quickly while the former Global Justice agent's attention was occupied by the young man setting Rufus down, Kim pressed the call button on her Kimmunicator three times in rapid succession. It was a signal she'd worked out with Wade in case she couldn't verbally tell him to send Joss. As much as she knew her cousin wasn't entirely ready for this, it had quickly become apparent with the addition of the hostage complication that they were going to need more than just the two of them to bring this to a finish.

"So then what are we supposed to be watching?" she snapped, still locked in her defensive stance.

"This," Gerhardt replied with sinister smile.

He swung his arms out in a grand gesture, and three other WEE agents also came up to the forefront of the invasion group to stand with him, each also bearing a Roman numeral emblazoned on their chest. Now there stood five total agents with the Roman numerals one through six on their chests, although both teens noticed that Number Five was conspicuously absent. Still, there was no question that they were definitely outnumbered here. With the flames behind them, the group looked impressive in a menacing way. Not that Team Possible was intimidated, but it certainly cut an impressive picture against the normally quiet nighttime view of the G.V.U. campus.

"You see, Miss Possible," Gerhardt said with the sort of overconfident smirk that looked right at home on a malcontent's face, "you claim to be great heroes, yet you never even noticed the double agents the WEE had placed all around you. Well, now it is time to learn just how exposed you really are."

With that he walked behind Number Six and removed the hood.

"Chef Angelo!" exclaimed Ron.

"That's right!" the diminutive little man said with a high-pitched cackle, his Italian accent completely gone. "Never suspected a faculty member, I'll bet."

Number Four turned out to be…

"Jason Adams!" growled Kim.

"Sorry, Red," Jason sneered. "But you're just too easy to play! And the best part is I didn't even have to try hard with Professor Hyde doing all the work for me."

Number Three was a definite shock to the system, especially considering he held Mitzy Drake captive.

"Vinnie James!" Ron snarled. "I thought you were my friend, man!"

"Like I've told you before, Ron," the G.V.U. quarterback retorted, his face conspicuously lacking a villainous smile and unusually hard to get a read on, "appearances can be deceiving. And based on your assessment of this situation it's a lesson you apparently still have yet to learn."

Number Two was a deep cut to both Kim and Ron.

"Katie Ryan!" Kim hissed. "And to think we've felt sorry for you when you looked run down these past few weeks. We trusted you!"

"Be careful who you trust, Kimberly," the young woman said with a frown. "And you should know to be careful when choosing _your allies_." The last part she put extra emphasis on, though neither Kim nor Ron could figure out why she did so.

Number One, however, cut a whole lot deeper when his identity was revealed. And made both Kim and Ron feel extremely bad for Monique, who he held captive with her arms twisted…

"Viktor!" Ron snapped. "I swear, I'm going to make you pay for this!"

The young man threw back his head and laughed cruelly. "Honestly? That old line is the best you can come up with?" he snapped in much thicker Russian accent than he'd ever used before. "Believe me—you haven't even got the _beginnings_ of what it would take! See, I'm in this for the most personal reasons. Not only did I _volunteer_ to be the one that played both you _and_ Ron, I'm also in this to help with my uncle's revenge on you two."

"_Uncle_?" Kim yelled in surprise. "You mean to tell me that you and this monster are _related_?"

"That's right, Kim," the young man declared with a laughing sneer. "And believe me when I say it was so sweet to watch the two of you falling for my deception hook, line, and sinker. Not to mention of course the _other_ benefits I got to enjoy…"

Even if Kim and Ron hadn't know what he meant, one look at the fire blazing in Monique's eyes would have been all it took to explain the statement. Of course, the restrained beauty certainly tried to put a definitive stamp on the matter by trying to scream furiously through her gag and swinging her spiked heels back a few times, as well as trying unsuccessfully to stomp on Viktor's feet. However, another twist to her arm put a stop to that quickly as her eyes shut tight in pain.

Gerhardt grinned evilly. "And now you know just how futile it is for the two of you to claim normalcy. Because of your world-saving antics, your friends have been hurt, your school has been set under siege, and you are now powerless to do anything about it."

Kim and Ron were both beginning to formulate plans on how to get their friends free when at that moment a loud yell was heard above all the commotion: "YEE-HAW!"

A second later, a figure on a grapple line came flying through the air and landed a hard boot upside Viktor's head, knocking him backwards. In the same fluid motion, the person grabbed Monique and continued the swing up and out of the thick of WEE agents. Less than a second later, she was down on the ground and twirling the grapple gun like an Old West Samuel Colt while a shocked Monique stood there staring at her.

"How do?" grinned Joss as she holstered the device and took up her own fighting stance. "Mind if Ah join the fun?"

"So you rescued one hostage," sneered Gerhardt. "We still have another."

"No you don't," snapped an unexpected voice.

Kim and Ron turned their focus towards Katie Ryan, who was now backing up to them, and both were surprised to see a confident smirk on her face as if she were the cat that had just managed to swipe the canary undetected. However, more surprising than that was that Vinnie stood next to her, working at releasing Mitzy from her bonds.

"I'm really sorry about all this, Mitz," they heard him say in what seemed to be a genuinely repentant voice. "We had to do it this way or they would have suspected that we'd turned."

The hurt and fire in the purple-haired girl's eyes looked like it could cut cold steel.

"Suspected you?" Ron said with a scratch of his head. "But if you're not with them who are you with?"

"Agent Katie Ryan, former MI-6 and current member of the CSIS," the British young woman said with an apologetic grin. "I believe the both of you are quite familiar with my superior."

"Who…" Kim replied before it dawned on her. "Joe the Janitor. That's who you work for."

Katie nodded. "Agent Joseph Maple of the CSIS a.k.a. 'Janitor Joe', that's right. Sorry for the secrecy you guys, but it was necessary to keep my cover from being blown."

Kim's frown disappeared, but the smile that replaced it could barely be called that. "Well, I can't say I'm happy about being lied to, but I feel a lot better knowing you're on our side."

"So Vinnie," Ron said through clenched teeth, "what's your explanation for this?"

The junior Guardian quarterback looked ashamed as he glanced back at his fellow blonde. "Started out working for them, but you can't help when your heart gets in the way," he said with another meaningful and apologetic look at Mitzy, who had yet to stop staring at him with shock and hurt filling her eyes.

"So you had two agents working undercover with the WEE. Who cares?" Gerhardt spat. "That still doesn't change the fact that you're still outnumbered four to one."

Kim smirked. "Obviously you don't do your research, Ivan. Four against one for us is like going up against a villain like Frugal Lucre at his most incompetent—sooooo not the drama."

Katie grinned and frowned at the same time. "Not that I don't appreciate the vote of confidence, Kim, but he does have a point. Not to mention they can go all out while we have to protect the other students."

Joss flipped her hair. "Obviously you don't know the track record of mah cousin and her fiancé, lady. Kim and Ron can easily take out four of these guys apiece without even breakin' a sweat."

"Enough of this idle chatting!" sneered Gerhardt. "How about you show me just why that one-eyed bleeding heart puts so much undeserved stock in you and your abilities? WEE agents: Attack!"

With that, the WEE agents charged.

"Boo Yeah!" Ron yelled as Team Possible and their two new allies met the charge with one of their own.

The two groups met like the clashing of opposing shields, but it quickly broke off into groups of fighters. And if it hadn't been clear at first, however, it unfortunately became immediately clear that these were not the usual WEE flunkies. Despite Kim and Joss's boasts, each member of their team taking out four agents wasn't quite the ferociously easy piece of cake they'd made it sound like. Thankfully Katie and Vinnie had been trained well, and both seemed to be handling themselves with little problem. Joss, on the other hand, was struggling with three, and Kim was finding herself harder-pressed than normal to keep up with five agents coming after her.

"How are you doing there, Joss?" Kim called as she blocked a few incoming blows and delivered a couple of strikes of her own.

"Ah'm fine," came the curt reply followed by a couple battle cries. "Even if these guys aren't playin' fair."

"They're villains, Joss," Kim replied with a dry attempt at humor as she simultaneously blocked three attacks at once with her arms crossed in an "X" over her head. "It's what they do."

And unfortunately, none of the WEE agents that had come tonight seemed the type to go down after one or two lucky shots…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

A few feet away, Ron was fighting his way through his own share of the WEE strike force. And unfortunately, he'd managed to somehow grab the toughest group—including one Ivan Gerhardt, who was proving he had the skills to back up his attitude and seemed determine to repay the young man for the humiliation he'd received that summer. At the same time, Ron was trying as hard as he could to access his Mystical Monkey Power. He was confident that he could end this thing quickly if could only summon the abilities he'd used to stop the Lorwardians. But try as he might, his powers would not come! Despite feeling the same level of concern for those close to him that he'd felt the year before when he watched Warhok pick up a stunned Kim, he couldn't seem to find the trigger.

And as his capabilities continued to fail to come forward, he became more and more worried. Based on what they knew, the celestial alignment needed for Monkey Fist's return would come around again in just under three months. And if the information Wade had been able to gather was correct, Fist was going to have the powers of the Yono at his disposal, meaning Ron would have to be able to utilize even greater abilities than those he'd showcased the previous spring to have a shot at bringing down the revived simian super-villain. But if he couldn't even focus enough to bring his powers out now when he didn't really need them, how could he hope to access them when the fate of the world depended on it…

And of course, the jabs from Gerhardt weren't helping…

"You mean to tell me _this_ is the skill that saved the planet?" the large man declared with a laugh as he easily blocked and countered Ron's attacks. "If this is all it took to stop Warhok and Warmonga, I'm surprised this planet ever even broke a sweat over the Lorwardians!"

"You haven't got a clue, man!" Ron yelled as he belted one of the other WEE agents he was taking on harder than he'd ever struck anyone before, sending the unfortunate man flying several feet back to put a very sizeable dent in a rock-solid brick wall. "This isn't even close to what I'm capable of!"

"Then show me!" Gerhardt snapped back as he planted a hard fist directly into the young man's stomach. "Because right now it's no surprise to me that everyone always pegs you as the _tag-along-loser_! And once we put you down, we're going to destroy Little Miss 'I can do anything', once and for all!"

However, as Ron stood there hunched over for a second, it became immediately apparent that what Gerhardt had just said was causing something to quickly change within the young man…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Uhh…Kim?" Joss called a little warily as she began to feel the wind picking up strangely.

"Little busy here, Joss," Kim called as she finally managed to knock out one of her opponents with a cleanly-placed uppercut beneath his chin that sent the evil-doer crashing to the ground.

"KIM!" her cousin called again much more frantically.

"What?" Kim yelled, hoping that the younger girl wasn't about to ask for her help.

However, when she turned for a second to look at the younger Possible, she was surprised to see Joss looking beyond her. She also noticed the faint blue light beginning to light up the area. Quickly lashing out with a few quick kicks to each of her adversaries to buy herself a little time, she shot a glance in the direction the glow was coming from. What she saw both shocked and amazed her, for Ron was suddenly standing in the middle of what appeared to be a roaring blue fire! Even more shocking than that was that three of the four opponents he had been facing were now hanging in the air, consumed by that fire and bobbing up and down as if they were being juggled! Only Gerhardt was not—although he was several feet back from Ron and staring at the young man with something similar to terrified disbelief in his eyes. Kim couldn't resist the smirk of pride she felt at seeing the jerk frozen in fear like that.

Glancing at Ron, however, again brought that unwanted feeling of being afraid of her fiancé surging forth in the red-head's chest. This time was even worse than when Dack had attacked him, for his eyes had been replaced by a pair of bluish-white flames of light. And now the feeling wasn't just of being replaced, it was one of actual _fear_ of what Ron could do if he ever got out of control. Ever since she'd seen the night Dack had tried to shoot them, Kim had been planning different ways of getting her love to access the greater depths of his abilities. Now his powers seemed like something primal, something that should never be messed with or released no matter how dire a situation might become. And that knowledge frightened Kim in ways she couldn't even begin to explain.

"What's going on with him?" Katie yelled over the mounting roar of the wind.

"I don't know," Kim answered feebly. "I've never seen him like this before."

She was so enraptured by the sight she didn't even notice the incoming fist aimed at her head. However, she definitely felt when the blow hit her cheek, as well as the pain of the crash as she slammed into the ground. The next thing she knew there was the loud scream of a man, and when she looked she saw the WEE agent who had struck her lifted into the air and writhing in agony. Below him Kim noticed the body of Ron Stoppable—she recognized the body but not the person, because the look on the young man's face was one of twisted fury. All around them the other WEE agents were backing away, and some had actually begun fleeing in terror. Joss, Katie, and Vinnie, were standing there transfixed as if they were convinced that taking their eyes off Ron would result in them suffering the same fate as the WEE agent the blonde had suspended. Looking up, Kim got a better look at the operative, and noted with some satisfaction that it was Viktor Tretiov. However, she also knew just from his expression that if she didn't stop Ron it was very likely the Guardian cornerback would not survive the night.

Quickly she pressed the button on her Kimmunicator. "Wade, how good are the shields on the new battle suits?"

Wade looked just a tad confused. "Umm, about the same as the ones on the Mark I. Why do you ask?"

Kim shook her head. "What I mean is would it protect me from the energy Ron gives off when his MMP is spiking?"

Wade scratched his head, a worried look on his face. "In theory, yes, but we've never tested it." Then he frowned. "Another road test?"

Kim nodded grimly. "Another road test."

Quickly, she pressed a switch hidden under her shirt and just behind the button on her mission pants. Immediately, the black and purple material began to spill mercurially out from between the space between her shirt and pants and began to cover her arms and legs. As it did, she turned to her cousin.

"Joss, I need you to be ready. The minute I get Ron to release Viktor, use your grapple to pull him out of range."

"But Kim, Ah'm not that good with the aim on this new model yet," the younger girl said with a frown as she glanced at the tool in its holster. "What if I end up hittin' him?"

Kim shook her head as the battle suit stopped rippling and settled into place. "Not the gun one. Use the one in your Kimmunicator."

Joss nodded her understanding as she caught on to the better planning of the second idea. The Kimmunicator grapplers used grasping claws that latched on to the target instead of the pronged hooks of the hair-dryer grapple guns, and had been developed by Wade to help minimize the collateral damage Team Possible caused on their missions. The only reason they still used the grapple guns was that the tech genius had yet to figure out how to get the claws to latch onto flat surfaces. However, that claw did offer less dangerous possibilities for grabbing things.

"Got it, Kim!" Joss replied as she trained her Kimmunicator at the suspended Viktor.

Turning back towards Ron, Kim saw Gerhardt just behind him as the ruffian was high-tailing it away. She glared narrow-eyed at the jerk she still wanted her own crack at for everything he'd put them through, but she just as quickly retrained her focus on Ron. She quickly fired up her energy shield and slowly but with purpose began advancing towards him. Several of his energy tendrils lashed out at her, but the purple bubble shield emanating from the battle suit held.

"Ron, listen to me. You've got to put him down."

Ron didn't appear to hear her—he just kept staring furiously at the writhing and helpless Viktor.

"Ron, I'm fine. Look, see, fine."

Finally Ron spoke, and although it was full of fury, Kim was glad to hear only his voice in it and not the dual-voice he normally had when he was like this. No matter how out of control his powers were, Ron was still the one in control of accessing them, meaning she still had at least a slim chance of reaching him.

"No one hurts my friends," he bellowed, the aura he was giving off continuing to pound on the force field she was being forced to keep up.

"Ron, look at me. I've taken hundreds of harder hits than that."

Again, he repeated the same phrase, full of the same fury. "No one hurts my friends."

Kim's brain began wracking for a way to get through to him as his aura continued to pound on the suit's protective bubble. There had to be a way to reach him; all she had to do was find it. Glancing over at Joss, she finally noticed someone else still standing a few feet beyond her cousin. Evidently, the young woman hadn't left the scene when Joss rescued her. Suddenly, Kim was struck by a notion she hadn't considered before. Quickly she used the enhanced jumping abilities to spring over to where her BFF was standing and watching the fight.

"Monique, listen to me. I think Ron is doing this because of what Viktor did to you."

"To me?" Monique replied with a shocked look. "But this didn't start until Vic hit you."

Kim nodded urgently. "I know that, but I think that's just what set it off. Ron knows I'm fine, but one thing he has never been able to stand is when a guy takes advantage of a girl. It's like one of his red triggers, and it makes him go completely crazy when he sees it."

The African-American beauty frowned worriedly. "So what does that mean?"

Kim fixed her with a serious look. "It means you have to be the one to get him to stop this."

"But what can I do?"

"Mon, you have to get close and show him that you're okay. It's the only way to get him to calm down."

"O…okay," the young woman replied unsurely. "But what if he turns his powers on me?"

"He won't" Kim reassured her. "And besides, I'm going to be right next to you. On the off chance that he does come after you, I promise I'll get you out of there as fast as possible. Trust me, I wish there was a way to do this from here, but Ron will only snap out of this if he sees you're okay from up close."

Monique nodded, but there was definite apprehension in her eyes. Quickly the two girls advanced over to Ron. A few of his energy tendrils snaked out at them like broken power lines that were still live, and Kim used her battle suit's shields to keep them from touching herself or Monique. However, she did notice the glowing purple shield starting to give off a faint shimmer of interference each time one of the tendrils made contact with it. And she began to feel a little bit worried about the amount the shield could take before it collapsed.

"R…Ro…Ron," Monique began timidly.

"Have to sound confident," Kim whispered, grimacing a little as the tail end of an aura tendril managed to get through and send a quick blast of pain through her foot, causing her battle suit to seize up for a moment.

"Ron," her BFF said a little more strongly. "Ron, listen to me. You have to let him go."

Ron turned towards her slowly, the fiery orbs of his eyes raging madly. "He hurt you, Monique. He _won't_ do it again."

Monique appeared to gain a little strength from that. "Ron, I appreciate that, but look at you. You're letting yourself become something you're not. Please, calm down and put that piece of trash down."

"But," Ron began, the flames of his eyes slowly starting to back down.

"Don't argue with me, boy. If you keep this up, you're going to kill him, and he's not worth it. Believe me, no one would rather see him that way more than me, but I also don't want you to become a beast because of it. TAI, Ron – you're even ignoring Kim because you're so focused on hurting Viktor for what he did."

"KP?" the young man replied, blinking a few times as his eyes returned to the normal cobalt blue of his powered-up state and his aura calmed back to the way it had been during the Lorwardian fight.

"Ron, put him down," Kim joined in. "He's not worth it."

All at once the blue aura surrounding Ron Stoppable winked out, and Viktor crashed hard to the ground. Almost immediately, Joss's grapple from her Kimmunicator shot out, attaching to his leg as she pulled him roughly across the ground and away from Ron. The young man was thankfully still breathing, but the breathing was ragged and strained. Regardless, Joss still didn't spare anything as she tied him up tighter than if she were prepping a rowdy bull for branding.

Ron on the other hand was taking slow, deep breaths, his eyes closed and his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were white. After a few long minutes, he finally opened his eyes. They were glassy and unfocused, as if he were feeling the effects of some sort of hallucinogen. Almost immediately he swayed backwards, dropping with a hard plop to sit on the edge of the fountain. Neither Kim nor Monique knew exactly what to do, so they both sat down next to him, Kim on his right and Monique on his left. Each took one of his hands, and held it there, silently offering their calm to him.

A few feet away Joss, Katie, and Vinnie were gathering up the few WEE agents that had managed to be knocked out during the fight, and were tying them up before lining them up next to Viktor, the whole lot seated against one of the low retaining-wall/benches that surrounded the fountain. A few minutes later, police cars and Global Justice vehicles came rolling up, some fast and some slow, as well as a fire crew that immediately began to work on the flames caused by the explosion. Among those that got out were Dr. Director and "Janitor Joe" Maple, both of whom had been expecting a lot more damage to the surrounding area and were just a tad surprised at the lack of carnage before them. Betty immediately began inspecting the captured WEE agents, and was pleased to see all of the plants she had known about seated there.

Meanwhile, Joe approached Katie, and Kim found herself with a question for the Canadian secret agent. Patting Ron's hand, she got up and headed over to him with determination behind her walk. "Joe, we need to talk."

The Canadian agent held up his hand. "Before you say it, Miss Possible, I want to apologize for not filling you and Mr. Stoppable in about Agent Ryan's status. Unfortunately it was a necessary evil to keep her cover intact, especially after we learned she may have been discovered. The same thing goes for Mr. James turning on the WEE and spying for us."

Kim frowned. "I understand that, Joe, but what would you have done if Joss had rescued Mitzy instead of Monique?"

Joss stepped towards her and shook her head. "Wouldn't have happened, Kim. When you told Wade to tell them about the attack, they told him 'bout the moles and he relayed the message to me. That's how Ah knew that Monique was the one Ah needed to get outta there."

"Speaking of Miss Robinson," Dr. Director interjected as she came forward to join them, "how is she?"

"She's okay for the most part," came Monique's voice.

Kim turned to find her fiancé and her BFF approaching them. Both seemed to be halfway smiling, and she could tell from the way they were walking that giving them a few seconds to themselves had probably been a good idea.

"Only mostly?" Ron asked a bit concernedly as they arrived in the circle.

At that moment, two of Global Justice's agents were escorting Viktor past the group. Before anyone could stop her, Monique had turned and delivered a swift and direct kick so hard between the young man's legs that it made him rise a few feet off the ground before he crumpled down and curled up into a ball. Every male who witnessed the outburst quickly cringed and tightened his legs just a bit. Monique then turned back towards them.

"Now I think I'll be okay," she said with a somewhat-satisfied grin, although Kim noticed a trace of something else hidden behind her BFF's tired-looking eyes.

The red-head nodded and hugged her best friend. "I'm sooooo sorry you got dragged into this, Mon."

Monique shook her head. "DWAI, girl. If anything it's my own fault for falling that hard that quick. Got too caught up in the wrapping and didn't take a look at what kind of package was on the inside."

"Speaking of inside," Betty said turning towards Vinnie, "we still have to discuss what we're going to do about you, Mr. James."

Vinnie hung his head. "I know you have to do what you have to do, but whatever it is I'll serve it. Won't be anything compared to losing the girl of my dreams because of this mess."

Mitzy, who had was seated a few feet away while she was being tended by a Global Justice crisis counselor, heard him and stood up to walk over. "Tell me the truth, Vinnie. Was there any part of these last months that wasn't a lie?"

Vinnie slightly looked up. "The truth is I joined the WEE a few years ago. The agent who was masquerading as Chef Angelo is the one who contacted me. When this operation was designed back during the summer, I was told to get close to one of Kim and Ron's friends. I chose you because you were her RA, and the original plan was to only get close enough to you that I was close enough to hurt Team Possible. But then when the Halloween party came and I found out about Viktor drugging Kim's drink on his uncle's orders and trying to take her out permanently, I realized the mistake I'd made. I also realized that if that had happened to you, Mitz, I would have been just as furious about it as Ron was about it happening to Kim."

He turned towards Kim.

"By the way, Kim, you might want to thank Monique for doing that to Viktor, because he was also the one who tried to take advantage of you being passed out from Rachael spiking your drinks."

Kim glared at the stretcher where Viktor was being loaded up, silently wishing that she'd let Ron keep going. However, the changing of the mental voice of that wish from her normal inner voice to one of venomous velvet quickly made her regain control of her anger.

The G.V.U. quarterback turned back towards Dr. Director and Mitzy. "When I realized how twisted Viktor was, I got in touch with Katie because I already suspected she was a double agent since she was only on what we called Stage One while Viktor was already on Stage Five. When she confirmed it, I told her I wanted to help you guys. I also started passing the correct information to her so she could keep Gemini and Gerhardt from discovering who she really was."

Mitzy frowned. "But you also kept doing the stuff they told you to do," she challenged accusingly. "What about that, Vinnie?"

Katie shook her head. "Actually, Mitzy, he didn't do what they told him to. Vinnie only made it look like he was following orders. He was actually supposed to make sure Ron got seriously hurt in the final game against Penn State so he wouldn't be ready for this. That's actually why there were so many times Ron barely squeezed out of the backfield during that game."

Vinnie faced Ron. "But I also knew you had to stay healthy so you and Kim could face this together, so I still made sure you could get away safely. Or at least had time to prepare yourself for the hits."

Ron took a deep breath. "This is still pretty messed up, man."

Vinnie nodded. "I know. And I completely understand if you hate me for everything I've done. I'd really like it if you and Kim could find some way to forgive me for it, but honestly it's not the one I'm really hoping for. Like I said, the only one I'm really concerned with forgiving me for this whole mess is Mitz."

All eyes fell on the purple-haired girl, who looked like she wasn't sure if she wanted to explode in fury or cry in anguish. "I don't know, Vinnie. You used me, just like Viktor used Monique."

Monique shrugged unsurely, but her voice carried at least a little bit of confidence. "Mitzy, I don't know if this makes any difference to you, but if the situations were reversed and that piece of crap on the stretcher over there was the one who had turned, I might be tempted to at least give him the chance to prove he's telling the truth."

Mitzy shook her head. "Thanks, Monique, but I just don't know…"

Kim smiled, recognizing the thoughts going through her friend's head. "Mitz, the question is do you still love him, even a little bit? Because if you do still love him, I wouldn't say no just yet."

Mitzy turned towards Dr. Director. "How long does he go away for?"

Dr. Director fixed her good eye on Vinnie. "That depends on how cooperative he is. I will say that he's probably got at least six months coming. And it's only that short because it's his first offense _and if_ he cooperates completely. And I mean with _every_ single bit of the investigation _and_ with helping us identify all those involved here tonight."

Vinnie nodded. "Done. I consider it at least part of my rebuilding the trust with Kim and Ron and with you and Joe."

Mitzy slowly put her hand out and tentatively put it on his cheek, but she shuddered at the contact and instead put it on his shoulder, hovering hesitantly before letting it settle there—although it was apparent the action still caused her some discomfort. "I'll tell you what—you serve this out, help them out like she says, and _maybe_ I'll pick up the phone when you call after it's all over. But I'm telling you now that if you call me before August, whatever we had before tonight will mean less to me than day-old coffee from Stubbs®."

Vinnie smiled tentatively, and it grew a little bit when Mitzy returned it softly. Dr. Director raised her hand, and a pair of agents who had been waiting came over and escorted him towards a waiting Global Justice van. As they watched it pull away, Kim turned towards Mitzy.

"Mitzy, we feel really terrible that you got dragged into this too. If you need to talk, me or Ron will be glad to listen."

The RA shook her head slowly, her beret bobbing loosely. "Thanks, Kim, but you did enough just now to make up for it. I _do_ still love him, but I think I just need some time to sort out how I feel about this whole mess." With that, she turned and walked off alone into the darkness towards Patriot Towers.

Dr. Director smiled at her. "Kim, I want to thank you, Ron, and Joss for what you did here tonight. I wish I could have gotten you more help against them, but there wasn't time."

However, Joss frowned. "Ma'am, why didn't you want Wade to tell Kim 'n' Ron about Katie and Vinnie? He said you told him back at the end of October about Katie, and that yeh told him about Vinnie at the end of November. So why wait till now to tell Ron and mah cousin?"

Kim and Ron both caught the cringe Dr. Director tried to hide. Evidently, Joss had just revealed something intended to be kept secret. However, she faced them both with a determined look on her face and seriousness in her eye.

"Unfortunately, that was not my call to make, Joss. And Kim and Ron, to tell you the truth I've been wondering about the wisdom of that decision ever since I was given the order. I know from personal experience that the two of you work better when you have all the details."

Kim shook her head. "Betty, who exactly are you working for now? You didn't used to treat us like this, but it seems like lately we're nothing more than puppets for Global Justice to play with."

Unfortunately it wasn't Dr. Director who answered, but Joe. "Miss Possible, I don't think you realize just what you represent to the world now that both you and Ron are considered legal adults. There are powers at play here who…"

"That's enough, Joe!" Betty snapped quickly, cutting him off.

However, Ron's unusual view of things allowed him to pick up on it. "People who see us as the potential model for creating super agents of the future."

When Dr. Director remained silent, Kim went livid. "Is that what we are to you now, Betty? Some experimental trial run? Answer me!"

At that moment, a Global Justice agent came running up, a cell phone clutched tightly in his hand. "Dr. Director, there's a phone call for you. On the Blue Line."

Dr. Director nodded, then turned to Kim. "I'm sorry, Kim, but I'm not allowed to discuss it right now. Believe me, I wish I could, but there are other things at stake here that you are not aware of." She turned to Joe. "And while you may know more than they do, there are also things you aren't aware of, Joe. And I'm begging you to not tell them before I can."

"Lizzie…" he began.

The face hardened. "That's an order, Agent Maple!" she snapped. "And if you break it I _will_ inform your supervisor."

Joe looked shocked at the declaration as the group watched the Global Justice leader walk away, the phone planted tightly to her ear as she talked in low tones. As she got in one of the Global Justice vehicles and it drove off, Kim and the others stood there shaking their heads.

"Joe, you know she's wrong," Katie said after a long pause.

"I know she is, Katie. But she's also right about there being more at stake." He turned to Kim, Ron, and Joss. "You three need to be extremely careful. And Kim and Ron: watch yourselves while you're here over the next four years. Believe it or not, Betty is on your side, and she's trying to watch out for you."

Ron frowned. "Joe, what exactly is she trying to protect us from?"

However, the Canadian secret agent remained silent, merely nodding to Katie Ryan before getting in an unmarked vehicle that took him away as mysteriously as the one that had removed Dr. Director from the area. Gradually, the police and other emergency responders broke up and left the scene, leaving those still there with more questions than answers. Though she said nothing else, Katie stayed around to help with the clean-up of the mess, coordinating with the authorities and giving them the "official" account she had been instructed to give about what had taken place. However, she too left around midnight, escorting a still-shaken Monique back to her room. Kim offered to accompany her BFF, but Monique shook her head, insisting that what she needed was a night to herself to collect her thoughts. A few minutes after that, Joss finally hopped the transport tube back to Montana. As they watched her disappear through the ground just outside of Patriot Towers, her cousin turned to Ron.

"Still think I wasn't right to ask Wade to do some digging?" Kim said with a questioning sigh.

Ron shook his head and kissed her forehead as they headed into the building. "Never did after you told us your suspicions that day. Although I am wondering now what exactly he's going to find."

Kim didn't voice it, but the same question was now running rampant through her mind as well. And although they were snuggled comfortably together in the bed in Ron's room, the issue kept them both lying awake long into the wee hours of the morning. If not for the exhaustion factor that finally found and claimed them, neither of them would have slept that night.

* * *

_a/n_

_Well, things have certainly changed on the G.V.U. campus, that's for sure. What is Dr. Director trying to protect Team Possible from, and why is she suddenly so short with Joe over it? What's more, what effects will this night have on those involved and on the rest of the year? And is this the last we've seen of Gerhardt? Finally, what's up with Ron's MMP? If you want to find out, stay tuned..._

_..._

_On a more personal note, I've made it through the first round of testing, and so far nothing's come up. Do know that it's not a cancer or anything to do with my thryoid or parathyroids, or to do with my kidneys, so that's good. Still worries my doctor though, although he said there is a possibility that is presenting itself. If that's what's causing this, it'll be both a blessing and a curse, but we'll just have to see._

_..._

_As always, comments and reviews are always welcome. :)  
_


	33. Chapter 33

A/N

Chapter 33 is up and running!

- Sheila deals with some pressure from her parents, leading to some information she didn't know about one of them.

- The results of the WEE attack start to make themselves known, and it's putting a strain on some people.

- An ally deals with the fallout from the attack, and isn't liking what they're being forced to do.

- Someone's not as far gone as Team Possible would like to hope.

- More fallout causes a problem for a particular character, but it does lead to something...intriguing..., as well as forcing a problem out in the open.

- And finally, Kim is "forced" to make a decision she might regret...

So the drama!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"Still think I wasn't right to ask Wade to do some digging?" Kim said with a questioning sigh.

Ron shook his head and kissed her forehead as they headed into the building. "Never did after you told us your suspicions that day. Although I am wondering now what exactly he's going to find."

Kim didn't voice it, but the same question was now running rampant through her mind as well. And although they were snuggled comfortably together in the bed in Ron's room, the issue kept them both lying awake long into the wee hours of the morning. If not for the exhaustion factor that finally found and claimed them, neither of them would have slept that night.

* * *

"Momma, will you cut it out?" Sheila sighed with exasperation as she waddled uncomfortably from the main area of Go Tower towards her quarters Saturday evening. "Right now the best place for me and Andy to be is right here in Go Tower."

"Sheila, everyone knows that this is the headquarters of Team Go," Sheridan Godfrey contended as she followed her daughter. "And that includes the Risattis. If you stay here, it's like an open invitation that tells them exactly where you are."

Following along behind them, Hego looked stung by the insinuation. "Momma, the Go Tower boasts the latest in high-tech security and defenses. It would take an army to even get in the front door, and then a second army to infiltrate the living areas. Trust me, there is no place safer on Earth."

His mother didn't look convinced in the least. "Oh, so then it was fluke that both that Electronique and Misty Calloway managed to break in relatively easily."

Sheila stopped to lean on the wall, trying to give her aching, pregnancy-swollen feet and her sore back a rest from the strain of carrying twins that were due to arrive in just under a month. "Momma, we told you that those were isolated incidents with special conditions. Electronique had Hector and the others brainwashed, so she could force them to do anything—even use their glow powers to deactivate the tower's defenses. And Mystica just got lucky and came on a day when I was here by myself and didn't have the security measures turned on. Normally, this place is as safe as a Global Justice base."

Her father appeared around the corner carrying a newspaper, having apparently heard the commotion. "And I suppose you're referring to some place other than the campus of Global Vanguard University when you say that, Firefly."

Sheila squinted at him, a frown on her face. "The college in Upperton, Colorado, that the Princess and her boyfriend are attending? That's not a Global Justice base—it's just a regular, run-of-the-mill university."

Heathcliff was about to say something else when Sheridan shot him a meaningful look…a glance that neither Hego nor Sheila failed to notice. And as she saw it, Sheila hit upon a realization that she didn't know nearly as much about her father as she thought she did…

The female Godfrey sibling's frown deepened. "Dad, how would you know about that place being Global Justice sponsored? Not even Kim Possible knew that prior to this past summer. And the only reason I knew it was because Betty Director tried to get me to go there instead of to Go City U. here in town."

Her father's mouth seemed to curl up and down at the same time, resulting in it forming into a hard to read line. "Glad to hear you never told her, Hector."

Hego looked at him pointedly. "You specifically told me to not tell her or the others, Dad. So I didn't."

"Well, she's been clued in now, Heathcliff," Sheridan added pointedly. "You might as well tell her the whole story, honey."

"Tell me what, exactly?" Sheila replied, glancing back and forth between the three of them.

Heathcliff sighed, and motioned for them to follow him in to the main living area. At first Sheila didn't get why he couldn't just tell her the big secret right then, but the moment she sat down on the comfortable couch and her back and feet felt the relief she thought she might understand his reasoning.

"Firefly," he said once they were all seated, "before your mother and I disappeared, I wasn't just some officer with the Go City Police. I was the liaison between the GCPD and Global Justice, so I have a pretty good knowledge of everything they were involved in at the time. It's part of the reason I suggested you kids become a super hero team after the comet gave you your abilities. Otherwise, Global Justice was going to try to force you into a program they had in the early stages of development, and I didn't want the five of you to be tied to them like I had been."

"What program?" Sheila said with a slight concern to her voice.

* * *

Monday morning the grounds of G.V.U. were buzzing with what had happened. Those that had witnessed it were bombarded with queries, while those that had been absent from the campus lamented missing what they called "all the excitement". Among the many questions was how the WEE had managed to so completely infiltrate the campus, for while only Chef Angelo had been placed to hurt Team Possible, there were no less than eight faculty members who had been involved on the side of Gemini and Gerhardt. Add in the numerous students, none of whom had given any indication that they were harboring dark intentions, and it left a wide and painful gash in the morale of the campus. In response, several of the remaining teachers cancelled classes for a few days to give people time to come to terms with what had taken place. The Campus Counseling Center also announced a free grief/crisis session for any who were having trouble coping with the situation, and found themselves instantly booked solid for at least two weeks.

Surprisingly, once everyone learned what had happened, Kim and Ron found that they were _not_ the ones everyone wanted to speak to about the incident. That dubious and unwanted honor fell squarely on the laps of Mitzy Drake and Monique Robinson, neither of whom liked the constant badgering over being played by people wishing to hurt Team Possible. Mitzy at least had the benefit of knowing that Vinnie had decided to turn from his evil intentions due to his relationship with her. However Monique was constantly harassed with interrogations about why she had, as so many thoughtlessly put it, "fallen so hard for someone clearly using her." No matter where she went, the African-American beauty was assaulted with queries about why she hadn't seen through Viktor to what he really was, and it seemed no one cared that Monique was also having a hard time coming to terms with that very fact.

As such, it was no surprise to Kim when her BFF came dashing into their Unit on Friday evening and quickly locked the door behind her. Monique leaned against the door for a moment with her head bowed and her eyes closed, apparently trying to catch her breath after running to escape the mobs who wouldn't leave her alone. When she opened them, her eyes fell on Kim. The red-head didn't need to look twice to know things were definitely not okay in her friend's world, and she quickly closed the textbook she'd been studying and set her homework on the end table.

"Monique, you know I'm here if you want to talk," she said with a sympathetic smile.

The African-American beauty stared at her with a pained look in her eyes for a minute before opening her mouth…but nothing came out. Then Monique shut her eyes and turned to enter her bedroom, locking the door against her best friend for the first time since they had moved into the Unit. Kim immediately moved the closed textbook from her lap and placed it with her homework, got up, and was about to knock on the young woman's door when she heard what sounded like Monique crying into a pillow. Kim slowly lowered her hand, entered her own room to grab her cell phone, and went into the hallway. The minute she was out there with the door shut behind her, she quickly dialed a number and tapped her foot anxiously as it rang. Thankfully, her intended party did eventually pick up.

"Allison, it's Kim."

"Hey, Kim," the brunette freshman athletic trainer replied with a smile in her voice. "What's up?"

"Allie, could you come over? Monique could really use a friend right now, but I think I'm the last person she wants to see at the moment."

"Sure thing. I'll be right over."

When the other girl hung up, Kim sagged against the wall. Not knowing what else to do but not wanting to leave her BFF like she was, the red-head sank to the floor, and stared up at the ceiling as if she were staring through it to the late afternoon sky above. Even though Monique hadn't said it, and in reality probably never would because of how close the two of them were, Kim could tell the young woman held her and Ron at least in some small way responsible for what Viktor had put her through. And honestly, the teen heroine couldn't blame her best friend in the least. After all, she knew from _very_ personal experience what it was like to be played by someone whose ultimate goal was to hurt you. Granted, the person…or _thing_…that had played Kim had been trying to hurt her and not one of her friends, but even after more than a year and a half she was still very aware of what it felt like and how raw and vulnerable it made a person feel. She also knew just how much she had hated…_it_…and those responsible for what had done been to her, and how long it had taken her to get to where she could deal. And that was even with Ron there to support her and prove to her that there were still decent guys out there. Monique, on the other hand, was being forced to deal with this alone and with no one to turn to for that kind of comfort and understanding.

And worse than that, Kim's BFF had been used as a tool to get at the red-head, something that Kim hated that she had never even considered as a possibility before. Sure, she had been furious when Drakken had used mind control on Nana and forced the elderly woman to fight against the teen heroine, but that had been a single, isolated incident. It had been the one time, up until the past weekend, that someone close had been used as a tool to hurt her. Of course, there had also been the times that Kim had been forced to face Ron's evil alter ego, Zorpox, but those had never been the actual plan of the ones responsible for the sitch. And no one had ever before used any of her family or friends the way the WEE had used Monique. They hadn't kidnapped the African-American beauty for a trade of some tech, but had made her part of an actual calculated and manipulative plan whose sole purpose was to hurt Team Possible. The move had cut a lot deeper than Kim wanted to admit, and if it hurt that much for her she didn't even want to try to fathom what Monique was feeling.

As she sat there in the hallway on the hard carpeting trying to pull some sort of focus out of the sitch, Kim's mind began to focus on the one who she had learned from Katie Ryan was responsible for the whole mess: former Global Justice agent Ivan Gerhardt. Yet no matter how much she tried to be angry with and blame him, she found herself forced to admit at least one thing: whether she liked it or not, the mustachioed creep had been right. No matter how she tried to slice it, the G.V.U. campus had become a target simply because she and Ron were attending there.

It had been chosen as the site for the WEE's attack for the pure and simple fact that Kim and Ron were students, and monkey ninjas had broken into Patriot Towers multiple times already that year simply because they lived there. As she looked at the sitch, Kim couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the irony before her: in high school, they had experienced few attacks at school and home and she had longed for more freedom and less protection and coddling from those she often outshone in the fight against evil. Now she had that freedom, and so far it was blowing up in both her and Ron's faces, as it seemed like they, their friends and families, and their homes were now under constant threat of attack.

Kim was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice when Allison arrived and entered the Unit, or that she had been sitting in the hall for almost a full hour when the door opened and the brunette asked her to come back in. Upon entering, she found Monique seated on the couch, and looking down with an ashamed look in her eyes. When she raised her head to meet Kim's gaze, however, it was the red-head who couldn't hold the contact with her BFF's wet, red-eyed gaze. Still, she sat down in the living chair, feeling strangely grateful that Monique was seated on the far corner of the couch as opposed to the near one. Both of them sat there in mounting uncomfortable silence until finally Allison felt she had to break the tension.

"Alright, this is TACR you two. You both feel bad about what happened, so why not talk about it?"

"It's not ridiculous," Kim countered forlornly, catching the acronym that Allie employed which had so often been used by the other young woman in the room to describe outlandish sitches. "Monique has every right to hold this against me."

Monique shook her head. "You're wrong, Kim. Even if they were using me to get to you, you didn't plan this. And I know you didn't want this to happen to me, any more than you're responsible for me getting hurt by…by him. Yet I can't help but feel that you…are…somehow…"

"Look, Mon," Kim began softly, "I really wish I could erase what Gerhardt and…did to you, but the truth is I can't. And I don't know how to make it up to you."

Monique remained silent, but Allison spoke for her. "Kim, I don't think Monique wants you to try to make it up to her. She knows you wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt her."

Kim glanced at Monique, who continued to look down. "But the thing is that being friends with me and Ron is what got her caught up in this. They specifically said that's why she was chosen by…by that creep."

Monique looked up, her normal spirit returning to her eyes. "Girl, I've known ever since I followed you to Milan and we took on Camille and the Fashionistas that this could happen. Heck, I think I've known ever since the beginning of our sophomore year in high school that being friends with you could lead to this. Maybe even as far back as the week we first met when I saw you and Ron have to go up against that Jackal guy."

Both Kim and Monique flinched a little at the mention of the beginning of their sophomore year, and Kim suspected that Monique had just gotten the very same passing headache she herself had gotten. Unlike Monique, however, Kim knew that it was due to the mission June and Xander had undergone to remove what they called the Tempus Simia Idol from the time stream—a mission that had removed one where Monique joined Kim in Ron's place from the proper chain of events. Allison, on the other hand thought they were both just trying to clear cobwebs.

"So then WTBD, you two? It seems to me you both feel bad for each other and don't want there to be any blame, so why focus on it?"

Kim smiled, but Monique's frown deepened.

"Allie, it's not that simple. Yes, I knew this could happen, but I've never done anything to make myself less of a liability in the situation."

Kim got another headache when she tried to consider how good Monique could become if she were to train up a bit, a picture of her BFF full of what Kim could only describe as "wicked baddage" as her friend took on a muscled-up Drakken invading the red-head's mind.

"Monique," she finally said after a moment, "I'd be glad to teach you a few moves. Might be something fun for just girls us to do."

Monique finally smiled, but still shook her head. "And be under Coach Possible? TBNT, girl. I'll just start taking some lessons somewhere."

Kim rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Oh, come on. I'm not that bad, am I?"

Allie couldn't resist a laugh. "Kim, I've seen you in the cheerleader practices when they've called the trainers over to look at an injury. You could almost run that squad yourself, and you're not even the Captain yet."

Monique joined in the giggling, hesitantly at first but gradually building steam until it had to come out. "You should have seen the girl before she hooked up with Ron and he taught her how to relax a little. She once made her brothers' soccer team go from loving the game to hating it while she was serving as their substitute coach. They actually replaced her with an animatronics version of J.P. Bearymore that she and Ron recovered while stopping the Seniors."

Kim grinned. "Okay, that _one_ time I got out of control," she said with a laugh. "But I also learned from it, too."

Her BFF and Allison both laughed harder for a few moments before Monique grinned widely. "Don't make me have Wade pull up the tape, girl. You know I will if I have to."

Kim shook her head and smiled. "Fine. But are you sure we're okay, Mon?"

She got her response in the form of a hug from the African-American beauty. "We're good, girl."

* * *

Dr. Director's frown continued to deepen the longer this conversation went on.

"But Sir, Kim Possible is right about the way you've had me treating them lately. And I can tell you firsthand that it is better for everyone if those young people feel they can trust us."

The blurred-out face on the screen before her continued to speak in the usual garbled voice that prevented one from knowing whether the speaker were male or female. "Regardless, Dr. Elizabeth Director, you are the head of Global Justice, and as such are under the direct instruction of the decisions we have made. You will continue to follow your orders, or you will be removed from your position."

The leader of Global Justice frowned deeply. "And just how can you be so sure that these two cases are representative of the entire populace. These two instances may be similar, but both have equally different factors at play. There is no way to guarantee that the program you are proposing will be successful based only on these two examples."

Although the face was being distorted by the intentional static, Dr. Director thought she saw a frown. "And yet wasn't it your suggestion that we take a closer look at Team Possible as candidates, particularly after their success with taking down the Lorwardians? Are you now suggesting that Kimberly Anne Possible and Ronald Eugene Stoppable would not benefit from our ideas?"

Betty pounded her fist on the desk. "That's not what I'm saying! I'm saying that your research into this matter is corrupting the data you are trying to gather! Look at the numerous times we tried to quantify what makes Kim and Ron so good at what they do. Every time we try to lock it down, we find other factors that affect the results. And the more I learn about this other scenario, the more I think that it is entirely possible that Team Possible is one of a kind and cannot be repeated without going through the exact same circumstances. And that is something you know darn well is _realistically, statistically, and theoretically impossible_!"

"Control your temper, Dr. Elizabeth Director!" the voice thundered loudly enough that the speakers carrying it crackled. "Another outburst like that one, and we will be forced to take action. You will continue to follow the protocol, and will continue to withhold information on this project from Possible and Stoppable. And you will continue to monitor both situations that you have been ordered to follow. We will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of what's being presented to us this time. Is that clear?"

Betty breathed audibly through her nose a few times, trying to compose herself so she could deliver a calm reply. "Yes Sir. Orders understood."

The screen winked off, and Betty sat there for a moment, drawing deep breaths to calm herself down. If only she had a little bit more influence, she could do something about a situation she was quickly becoming uncomfortable with. Unfortunately her large amount of pull wasn't quite big enough at the moment to allow her to do anything but voice protests, and that was no longer getting results. And she definitely did not want to go through a repeat of what had taken place nearly fifteen years earlier with the Godfrey siblings. Making a quick decision she pressed a button on her watch that she was sure even her superiors did not know existed—and even if they did she was positive they didn't know about its secretive second purpose. Immediately, a hidden keypad popped up on her desk, and she entered a quick code into it. The moment she pressed the final button the keypad disappeared back into the desk, and her computer screen jumbled for a moment before a familiar face came on it.

"Secure," Will Du replied. "How did the meeting go?"

"Not good," Dr. Director replied, folding her hands in front of her face. "Contact the others and tell them to go to Level Two preparedness. We may have to commence this operation sooner than we expected. And Will?"

"Yes, Dr. Director?"

"Use your skills and contact the Maintenance Crew. Inform them of the _entire_ situation immediately, and ask them for their immediate support and assistance on the matter. I have a feeling we may have use for their special abilities soon. And also contact him—he needs to be brought up to speed quickly."

Agent Du cringed. "Are you sure about that Ma'am? We already got burned once when we took that route."

"I'm positive, Will. We're going to need an operative for this situation that can look at this thing from the outside, even if it's through the clouded glasses he views Global Justice with."

"Affirmative. Will Du out."

* * *

That evening in one of the shadier parts of Denver, Ivan Gerhardt jammed a key into the lock on the door of the safe-house he'd secretly secured for himself a month earlier when Gemini informed him he would be leading the WEE's attack on the G.V.U. campus. It had taken him all week to make his way here safely from Upperton by foot, for the most part because he knew that the WEE leader would be looking for him. However, after the failure of the maneuver against the G.V.U. campus, the former Global Justice agent also knew his current position as Agent Alpha would probably now be in jeopardy. In all likelihood, the first order he would be given upon his return would be to "take a seat," which would be followed shortly by that seat disappearing in some manner and taking Gerhardt and his failures with it. That would not do it at all, and so the now twice-disgraced agent had decided to take the decision out of the WEE leader's hands by going AWOL and voluntarily severing all ties with the organization.

However, as he glanced around the meager apartment, Gerhardt frowned. This was certainly a comedown from what he was used to. Most of two of the plain off-white walls in the main room were covered with information he'd gathered on Team Possible—mainly stats and information but specifically any time a weakness for the teens had been discovered. Over in the corner, a work station had been set up, on which now sat a slightly less than state-of-the-art computer that Gerhardt had secretly swiped from one of the WEE's main base storage rooms the week before the college invasion took place. In another corner, a bare efficiency kitchen with food already stocked, while a tiny and dingy bathroom sat off to the side. The other, smaller room contained a bed and little else. But although Ivan was tired and easily feeling the throes of that mounting need for sleep, he knew he could rest later. He quickly threw all three locks on the door, as well as an electronic lock he had added after reinforcing the door a bit. Thankfully, the landlord of this place seemed concerned only with making money off of it, and had not objected to any "improvements" Gerhardt had been inclined to make as long as he got paid.

Ivan then walked over to the work station, and fired up the computer. The moment it came on, he accessed his email, and sent out a message he'd been hoping he wouldn't have to send. Unfortunately, his plans to replace Gemini as leader of the WEE had evaporated in the same manner as his ambition to usurp Dr. Director in Global Justice. And now he was being forced to try a working relationship bridge he hadn't liked when he crossed it the first time. As he closed the email program, he snarled at his bad fortune.

_And all of it thanks to those annoying maverick heroes!_ he thought bitterly. _I swear I will make them pay for these insults!_

Before he turned off the computer however, his eyes caught sight of a file displayed on the monitor's desktop screen. In his haste to set up this safe-house and make sure he had everything he needed should he be forced to utilize it, he had yet to clear the device of any old data the WEE might have had stored on it. Intrigued by the file name, he clicked the icon, and began skimming through the document. As he did so, his eyes began to gleam, and his mustache began to twitch madly. The file was one that had been stolen from Global Justice, and if it told the truth there might still be a way to achieve the power he sought. It would take careful planning, and a whole lot of preparing and waiting, but if successful he would be able to easily discredit those who had wronged him. He closed the file, intending to take a closer look once he had been able to get some rest. He grabbed a piece of cold fried chicken from the fridge, scarfed it down, tossed the bones, and climbed into the bed. As he drifted off to sleep, his smile became the most twisted it had ever been.

* * *

Kim was quickly beginning to dislike Tuesday nights. Each year, the G.V.U. Guardian basketball team's schedule flip-flopped what it did, and this was the year that the majority of the home games were on Saturday nights and the majority of the away games were on Tuesdays. And although she never let the feelings show in her cheer squad performances, she felt somewhat resentful. Of course it probably didn't help that the Guardian's stunk to high heaven on the court, a situation she'd never before faced, but that wasn't the main reason she found herself hating the sitch. No, that had to do with the fact that Coach Williams had _actually let Rachael back on the team!_

Despite everything the arrogant blonde senior had done, she had somehow managed to weasel her way back into a place on the squad. Several of the cheerleaders, male and female alike, suspected some money had changed hands under the table between Rachael's loaded parents and the school to allow the injustice, but there wasn't a thing anyone could do. Even Emily Quartermaine and Nina Arroyo, the captain and co-captain, couldn't seem to convince the cheer coach that letting Garreth rejoin them was a bad idea.

"I'm telling you, Coach," Q had voiced during the meeting before Rachael's return when Coach Williams informed the squad of the development. "Letting her rejoin is like asking for trouble."

"She deserves a chance to prove herself again just like the rest of you," Coach Leslie Williams responded curtly. "And I expect all of you to give her that chance. I am well aware of what she is suspected of doing, but as the authorities could not prove the incident, the hands of G.V.U. are tied in the matter. Without a probable cause, we cannot keep her off the team."

"But Coach," Bobby Norris complained, "regardless of whether she was found guilty or not, everyone here knows that Rachael was the one to spike Kim and Ron's drinks at that Halloween party. What about the disruption to the team that's going to cause?"

However, Coach Williams stood firm. "Can any of you prove she was the one who did that? If you can convince a jury, then I can act on the matter. Otherwise, I'm afraid we're going to have to deal with the situation."

Despite that, the rest of the squad had made it known from the first practice that Rachael was back that she no longer had any sway with them whatsoever. Kim was grateful for the support, but still tweaked at the sitch. Even more annoying was that Rachael kept putting on an obviously fake attempt at mending the bridge between them.

"Look, Kim, I'm sorry about what I did to you and Ron. And I really do think now that you guys deserve each other. Honest," she would say each time she tried to talk to the tweaked and uninterested red-head.

The false modesty and sincerity that oozed out of the girl's mouth whenever she said those words to Kim literally made the young woman sick to hear it. Each time she had to stand there and listen to it she felt like punching the girl through the wall, and yet she was forced to do nothing or risk being ejected from the squad herself. And the road trips to away games made things even worse, as she and Rachael somehow kept getting paired together on the bus and in hotel rooms. Kim suspected Coach Williams was trying to get it where she and Garreth could at least tolerate each other for the good of the squad, but it still tweaked the young woman to no end.

Of course there was one upside—each time Kim stood there and did nothing in retaliation, the respect the rest of the squad held for her continued to grow. The result was that by the end of the final road trip in January, she had almost as much pull on the squad as the seniors who had been with the team for four years. A few of them actually commented to her on the side that it was like she and Rachael had switched places in terms of influence.

And then of course, there were the greetings she continued to get from Ron each time he was there when she and the other cheerleaders came back to campus. Many times he seemed…"tired" was probably the best word. But each time he insisted it was merely because he had taken up working out as a time-killer while Kim was on road trips with the team. Once or twice she thought about suggesting that he use the time to hang out with Felix so that she could join him in his workouts, but each time she brought it up Ron continued to brush the idea off by saying that Felix often drove over to Upperton U. on Tuesday nights to see Zita since that was one of the few nights the Hispanic girl continually had nothing going on with either her studies or her sorority. Kim was initially suspicious until Felix confirmed it one night.

"It's true, Kim," the wheel-chair bound young man said one day as they ate breakfast. "Zita's trying to get enough influence with her Lambda Theta sisters that she can possibly move into the house next year. Normally only juniors and seniors can live there, but Zita said there have been cases where exceptional sophomore members have been allowed to live in the sorority house. And after seeing the state of her room in the Upperton dorms, I don't blame her. Those shoeboxes make our rooms here look like the Ritz or the Bellagio."

Unfortunately, that meant that Ron's schedule other nights was even more crammed. Thursday had officially been dubbed "Guys Night", and Ron and Felix often spent the evenings engaging in either some serious Zombie Mayhem action or going out to some local guy's hangout like a pool hall or something. Saturdays were of course delegated to games for the Guardian basketball team, and although Ron never missed a chance to come to a game in support of his red-headed love, Kim would much rather have spent the night with him up in the bleachers instead of down on the court or the sidelines. Mondays and Wednesdays, the blonde had taken to disappearing for a few hours, and every time Kim pressed him for answers, Ron merely smiled.

"It's just getting together with some friends I've made up here," he insisted. "Just trying to get away from being the complete social outcast I was in high school."

Kim frowned each time he put it like that. "Ron, you were not the complete social outcast. You were…different, and a lot of people just didn't know how to respond to that."

Ron would merely grin. "Thanks, KP, but we both know I didn't have that many friends beyond our normal circle. I'm just trying to prevent the same thing from happening here."

Realizing that this was something her love felt he truly needed to do, Kim decided to let him without further complaint, but it still meant that she was often on her own devices most nights except for game nights and Friday and Sunday. Those were definitive "Ron Night", and the two of them were rarely if ever not in each other's company then. It was a decision they'd made as a couple shortly after the semester started when they realized how crammed their schedules had quickly become. And that was without even any missions to occupy them—at least none of the normal villain-fighting missions. The humanitarian and aid-supply calls still came in, but the world's criminal element seemed to have slowed down even more than after the Lorwardian invasion. The answer for that came about half-way into January…

"What do you mean, 'they're afraid'?" Kim replied when Wade told her after she asked why no villain-specific or stolen-tech-retrieval missions were coming up during a weekly Kimmunicator conference.

"They're evidently worried that if they do something that calls you guys in and Kim gets even a paper cut that Ron will hurt them like he hurt Viktor during the WEE attack," the tech genius replied with a smile.

Although no charges would ever be filed since Viktor had been part of the WEE attack that Team Possible had been protecting the campus against, the results of Ron's outburst against him still had the former Guardian cornerback confined to a hospital bed. He would eventually recover, but it definitely wasn't going to be an easy road. And even when he did, the scheming blonde would be facing probably the longest prison term of any of those involved in the attack.

"Thanks to that, the bad guys have been put on a sort of 'good behavior' track for at least a little while."

Ron couldn't help but laugh. "So then they're afraid of my mad Fu skills," he scoffed with a goofy grin.

Kim rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Well, just keep us posted, Wade. Something tells me this won't last long. Feels too…"

"Calm-before-the-stormish?" Ron supplied.

The red-head grinned. "Something like that."

Wade smiled and nodded. "Roger, Kim. And just so you know, Dr. Director's been thinking along the same lines. When I was snooping around last week I found a whole lot of data on the connection to Team Possible and this big slowdown of criminal activity. She's actually been having all Global Justice agents up their training so that they're ready when the dam breaks."

Unfortunately, the side effect of the slow-down left Kim with more free time than she knew what do with, particularly on Thursday nights. Monday and Wednesday, she found herself unusually occupied by the assignments from her Creative Writing class. Kim had never really been that big a fan of creating the written word, preferring instead to read it, absorbing what others had created like a sponge. The exception had always been her journals and blogs, which she still kept at religiously. But she was finding more and more how much she liked putting her brain to task to come up with new and interesting ways to fulfill her assignments in this class that challenged her to open her mind to the possibilities and new directions her writings could go.

She supposed it could have been the fact that she was finding something else she was apparently pretty good at, but there was something different about reading what she'd created with either her computer's word processor or with pencil and notebook. It was oddly…satisfying in a way she'd never felt about anything except about her missions. Perusing her own literary works was proving almost as enjoyable as the thrill she got out of helping people who asked for Team Possible's aid. She began to wonder what it would be like to hear others discuss her work in the same way they often discussed her success on missions.

But still, that left Thursday nights wide open with little to do beyond work on her schoolwork. And after a few weeks of that, Kim was growing tired of the monotony of the sitch. Practically every Thursday it was the same exact thing after practice. Ron would walk (or drive/ride, depending on the weather that day) with her from their respective athletic practices back to Patriot Towers, they'd enjoy about half an hour together, and then he and Felix would hook up and leave her for the majority of the evening. At which point she'd grab a bite to eat (normally alone) before heading back to her room and opening her books for another night of studying subjects taught by teachers whose classes she was already acing. Frankly, it was boring the red-head out of her skull, and it wasn't until the end of January that she had an idea on how to fill that time fall into her lap…

"Are you serious?" Kim replied when Monique came to her holding the piece of paper.

"Definitely," her friend replied. "Look, we both need a way to kill time on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, so why not work on something for this? C'mon, girl, you know it'll be fun."

Kim stared at the flyer advertising auditions for G.V.U.'s Annual Spring Talent Bash that Monique had thrust at her. "Mon, we both know they normally only put singers in these things, and I'm still not that sure about my abilities in that area."

"And what about that SSP you put on when you did that original song at the tenth grade talent show? Looked to me like you could sing just fine then. C'mon, Kim, if there's not two of us it won't work."

"What won't work?" Kim said suspiciously.

**+++  
****~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Mitzy at least half-way smiled when she heard Monday evening about the proposed act Monique wanted to put on, and Allison couldn't have fit any more teeth into the wide ivory grill she put on display.

"Seriously, Kim, I think you should go for it," the brunette freshman trainer said as her grin continued till it was wide enough it made Kim's face hurt just to see it. "If nothing else it'll give the two of you a bit of time alone together so you can work through this whole issue you've got going on between you."

Kim shook her head. "I still don't know about this. And what issue would that be?"

Monique also got a quizzical look. "WAYGA, Allie?"

Mitzy nodded. "Maybe you two don't see it, but everyone who's gotten to know the pair of you can tell something hasn't been right these past few weeks. The two of you might still be tight, but there's a definite difference to the dynamic between you. It's like you're walking on eggshells around each other."

Kim and Monique looked at each other with a bit of nervousness in their eyes. Neither of them had wanted to admit it (or said anything if they had), but Kim had to admit things between her and her proclaimed "permanent" BFF had been a little strained in the weeks since the attack. In their classes, it didn't really affect them that much, but in the Unit there was a definite tension in the air. Whereas there used to be an unspoken agreement between them that they could just enter each other's rooms whenever they felt like it (barring the occupancy of that room by a boy), lately the girls could barely sit in silence in the living room together for ten minutes before one of them got up and left either for her room or out onto the campus. Kim had actually begun to wonder if it had been a good idea for them to room together their first year in college, but there was no way she was going to bring that up to Monique.

On the other hand, the fact that they were roommates meant that they couldn't avoid each other either, something they had actually been subconsciously trying to do the first few days after the attack. The talk Allison had forced them to have a week after the incident had actually been the first time they'd said more than ten words to each other since that night, and both had felt guilty about it. It had actually been such a relief to get past that awk-weird stage that they had jointly thanked their friend by taking her on a shopping trip to Club Banana and each of them paying for an outfit for her. The brunette had at first declined the offer, but their insistence had quickly worn her down…on the condition of course that they each get something for themselves as well, a stipulation that neither Kim nor Monique had any trouble following.

However, even with that hurdle crossed, the friendship between them still seemed a bit strained. They could now talk to each other, but the conversations had become stilted and awkward, not at all like they had once been. And evidently people around them were starting to notice…

"Take this Talent Bash for example," Mitzy said with glances that pinned both young women to their seats. "If this had come up in high school, would you be as hesitant to do it together? Or would you both be jumping in headfirst without caring how it was going to turn out?"

Kim looked at her BFF for a moment before her mind rammed itself to one side of the decision scales. "Mon, she's right," she said with a grin. "Count me in."

Monique eyed her with amused skepticism. "You sure about that, girl? You know we could end up looking pretty ridiculous."

Kim shook her head. "Won't matter. I'd rather look ridiculous with you than perfect with anyone else."

Her BFF smiled. "Well, then guess we should get to work. After all, we gotta make sure you got the right bit of soul to your voice if we're gonna pull this off. And I need to get to work on the suits and the hats."

Allison raised her latté in the air. "To the Blues Sisters: may you make Jake and Elwood look like amateurs."

The three other girls at the table laughed as they raised their coffeehouse drinks to the toast. As she sipped her cappuccino, Kim smiled. She was halfway tempted to pull a little revenge on her fiancé and sign him up for the Talent Bash as well—retaliation for him signing her up for the one their sophomore year in high school. However, she decided to not do it simply because it would cut even more into the time she got to see him. Besides, it wasn't like he was working on something for the show himself…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Over in one of the dance studios at Sentinel Station, Ron found himself under interrogation by a friend.

"C'mon, Ron," Eli Zenkman pushed. "Kim's normally gone on Tuesdays anyway for the away basketball games. Why can't we add in the extra practice?"

The blonde shook his head. "Eli, I can't tell you what or why, but I really need those nights for something super important. Besides, I think we're coming together pretty good here. Definitely badical show-stopper material."

"Boo Yeah!" shouted Rufus from the side, still dressed in his new costume.

Eli grinned. "Okay, fine, I'll take your word for it. What do you think Kim's gonna say when she sees it?"

Ron shrugged as he grabbed a drink of water. "I figure she'll probably either laugh or ask me why I decided to do this. Maybe both."

The young Jewish man smiled, adjusting his outfit and running a hand through his beard. "So how about we run through it one more time tonight?"

"You're on, man," Ron replied with a goofy grin as he took up his position.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

February came in with little announcement of its presence. Both Kim and Ron were deep into the throes of their second semester, each settling comfortably into the hectic schedules. For her part, Kim felt at least somewhat back to her old self. The added in practices for the act she and Monique would be putting on in the G.V.U. Annual Spring Talent Bash had effectively put her back into the fast-paced and crammed schedule she thrived on. She was once more pushing deadlines, particularly on her writing assignments, but it was times like these that fueled her adrenaline need and gave her focus. Workloads that would make other people crack only served to enhance her drive to push her family's namesake motto to the limits, and it gave her a heady rush to press herself to what she knew she could do and more.

Ron, however, seemed to be getting only more frustrated—a fact Kim was not failing to notice. As each week passed he seemed less the carefree goofball and more like her father when he had a project at the Middleton Space Center he couldn't quite solve. It always seemed to peak right on Tuesday evenings, and Ron would spin the rest of the week cooling down from the frustration of whatever he was dealing with. But then Tuesday would roll around again, and the aggravation would be back in his system. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer, and approached him about it.

"Ron, I can tell something's up. Why won't you talk to me about what's bothering you?" she said that first Wednesday evening in February after he returned from meeting with his friends. "You know I'd like to help you if I can."

Ron merely shrugged and shook his head dejectedly as they sat on the couch in her Unit. "KP, I can't."

"Then at least tell me what you're up to," she countered, placing her hand on his cheek supportively. "At least let me know what's bothering you so much?"

"Look, this is something I should do on my own," he replied. "And it's something I don't want your help on."

Kim didn't like the answer, but she also could tell just from the way he'd said it that further pushing on her part would only lead to him further closing himself off. For the moment, the best she could do was just to be there for him. However, that didn't mean that was _all_ she could do for her love. After all, there was also the _way_ he'd rebuffed her offer of help. He hadn't said "I don't _need_ your help"; he'd said "I don't _want_ your help." Whatever this thing that was troubling him involved, he seemed to have already determined that he couldn't move past it without her help. And yet he seemed bound and determined to tackle the problem on his own. If she was going to help him, she had to first somehow figure out what he was up to while she was away cheering at the G.V.U. basketball games on Tuesday nights.

She finally caught a break the Tuesday before Andy and Sheila's wedding. The Guardian basketball team was going to be playing a much smaller school that didn't have cheerleaders of its own, and so Coach Williams made the declaration that the G.V.U. squad wouldn't be going. Not that it mattered much to the other members, but for Kim it presented her golden opportunity. However, she'd need to make sure Ron didn't know she was following him. The sitch left her with one option, and she wasn't too keen to use it. However, she reasoned that it would be worth it if she could find a way to help her boyfriend achieve the goal that seemed to frustrate him the more it continued to elude him.

"Wade?" she called on her Kimmunicator that afternoon when she got a moment alone.

"What up, Kim?" the tech genius said with a smile.

"Listen, don't freak out if my battle suit goes active tonight. I have some training I need to do, and I need a bit more than the normal workout. So I figured I'd get a bit more familiar with everything the suits can do."

"Huh?" the young man replied. "Uh, Kim, none of my business, but one of the main reasons Global Justice and the authorities don't object to us having those suits is because I promised them we'd never use them unless we have to."

The red-head sighed. "Look, Wade, I can't explain at the moment, but this is a definite 'have to' sitch here. I promise I'll debrief you on everything I do later, but it's something I have to do regardless. I just wanted to make sure you know it's me activating the suit before I did it."

Wade shrugged and eyed her skeptically. "Okay, Kim, but I still don't think this is a good idea. Especially with the way the suits have been acting after the WEE invasion. I still can't get Ron's to quit seizing up."

Ever since the attack, both of the Battle Suit Mk. II's had been acting rather strangely. Despite everything, both outfits had apparently reacted badly to the violent lashing out of Ron's Mystical Monkey Power. The young man's had actually been on the fritz so much that Wade had had Ron fully deactivate it and send it to the tech genius so that he could examine it more closely. Kim's on the other hand was still functioning relatively normally, but it was also showing signs that its power source (which was supposed to have lasted for many years to come) had been severely drained from her attempts to ward off her fiancé's energies—to the point that it sometimes powered down for no reason. Thankfully there hadn't been a mission where Team Possible had needed them since that night, but the entire team agreed they'd feel a lot better once their aces in the hole were back up to fully-operational status.

"Trust me, Wade, I'm not going to be doing anything dangerous. It would just be better if I'm not seen tonight."

Wade frowned. "Alright. Just be careful, Kim."

So it was that she found herself that night dressed in the black outfit with purple power bands and waiting hidden behind some bushes just outside the front entrance of Patriot Towers for Ron to exit the building. She hadn't told him that the squad wasn't going with the basketball team tonight, and she needed to be sure he didn't know she was following him. He emerged shortly after sunset carrying his gym bag, and she watched him heading for Sentinel Station, apparently going for a workout. Activating the suit's stealth mode, she followed him as quietly as she could. Once or twice he stopped and turned around like he knew he was being followed, but each instance lasted less than thirty seconds before he continued on his way.

When he entered the doors, she waited for a moment before following, timing her entrance with a couple of other students so the door wouldn't appear to be opening by itself. She watched him heading for the student workout facility, but was surprised when he passed the entrance and headed down the stairs towards the basement. Kim was confused, as she knew that all that was down there was some of the older rooms from before the university had upgraded the student union to its present status. Even more mysterious was that students rarely if ever ventured down there. Cautiously, she followed him, employing all her stealth skills to keep her footsteps as noiseless as possible.

At the bottom of the stair she was greeted by an even stranger site.

"Ron, you've got to do a better job cleaning up down here," a student working as a maintenance person said as he unlocked a door. "Especially if you want to keep this quiet from my superiors and by association Kim. My boss wasn't too happy about the mess you left last week."

Ron grinned nervously and rubbed his neck. "Sorry 'bout that, Alan. I got caught up in my progress last week and lost track of time. Actually barely had time to get down to the Coliseum to pick up Kim."

Alan frowned. "I don't get it, Ron. Why don't you want her to know what you're up to? I mean, isn't the girl you asked to marry you supposed to be the one you can talk to about anything?"

_Excellent question_, Kim thought, wanting to know the answer to that query herself.

Ron shrugged. "I know, but even though she calls me her partner now, I know Kim is still perfectly satisfied with the fact that I'm just there, even when I screw up or can't do anything to help her. But thing is I'm not anymore, and I'm trying to change things to where I can step up more. I want her to be able to count on me to perform at her level no matter what we're facing. And if I'm gonna do that, I have to get there myself. I can't give her even the slightest inclination that I'm holding her back." With that, he slipped inside the room, leaving the door ajar.

Kim felt like she'd just been gut-punched. Here she thought she'd made some significant progress in convincing Ron that he had never held her back; that many times it was because of him and their relationship that she could pull off the things she could do. And yet somehow he was still afraid that he was somehow holding her back from what he perceived as her true potential. Was that why he kept feeling like he had to buy her expensive stuff and treat her like a queen…because he was afraid he was going to lose her otherwise? To her, any lingering ideas of a life spent with anyone other than Ron Stoppable that had managed to survive after the Lorwardian attack had flown out the window the night he proposed to her. But for whatever reason he still had doubts about her wanting him for the long haul.

_Focus, Kim,_ she told herself, trying to clear the troubling thoughts out of her head. _Remember why you're here._

Whatever this thing he kept doing in secret involved, Ron was somehow convinced it would help the situation. And that knowledge had Kim even more focused on helping him. As Alan walked by, she flattened herself against the wall. The maintenance worked paused for a moment, looking at the spot where she invisibly stood, but Kim allowed herself a brief sigh of relief when he merely reached for a cigarette before heading up to the next floor. Quietly, she powered down the battle suit's invisibility setting, as well as pressing the button on the belt that caused it to disappear under her clothes, and inched closer to the still open door. Inside was still quiet, and Kim felt her curiosity rising to extreme levels. Quietly she peeked around the edge, making sure to keep her easily noticeable red hair out of view. The sight she saw caused her to silently gasp in surprise.

* * *

_a/n_

_So what exactly has Ron been up to? And what is this mysterious project that's putting Dr. Director so ill at ease? Furthermore, who is involved in the other situation she's being forced to keep an eye on? And what does she plan to do about it?_

_And of course, what have Bates and D.N. Amy been up to all this time?_

_Some of these questions and more will be answered in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_On a more personal note, my fingers are out of the casts and the tests are in. Suffice to say that I don't have anything majorly wrong with me, although the doc did find something a bit unusual about my quick healing. If you want the details, note me._


	34. Chapter 34

A/N

Chapter 34 is up and running!

- So what has Ron been up to? Kim's about to find out, and what it reveals will bring out some issues she's never wanted to face before...

- Bates and D.N. Amy find themselves with a problem concerning their targets, as well as a bit of a...surprise...

- Kim's reaction to what she's seen has a few people confused, and one person in particular is determined to do something about it.

- Wade's snooping uncovers something, and it could mean trouble for Team Possible.

- Kim finally confesses what she's been thinking, and Ron brings up an explanation that she misunderstands...at first...

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Whatever this thing he kept doing in secret involved, Ron was somehow convinced it would help the situation. And that knowledge had Kim even more focused on helping him. As Alan walked by, she flattened herself against the wall. The maintenance worked paused for a moment, looking at the spot where she invisibly stood, but Kim allowed herself a brief sigh of relief when he merely reached for a cigarette before heading up to the next floor. Quietly, she powered down the battle suit's invisibility setting, as well as pressing the button on the belt that caused it to disappear under her clothes, and inched closer to the still open door. Inside was still quiet, and Kim felt her curiosity rising to extreme levels. Quietly she peeked around the edge, making sure to keep her easily noticeable red hair out of view. The sight she saw caused her to silently gasp in surprise.

The inside of the room was set up much like a dojo, with sparring dummies and various other pieces of training equipment set up all along the walls. A Guardian blue training mat extended from wall to wall, and Kim could see what looked like the worn-out markings used on collegiate-level wrestling and martial arts competition mats in the center of it. The walls themselves were all a dull gray, but also had what appeared to be G.V.U. logos from about fifty years earlier. Ron's gym bag was off to one side as were his normal clothes, the latter piled neatly next to the bag. Rufus was sitting there next to the bag, a stack of towels and several water bottles sitting there waiting for Ron's use, and looked for all the world like a trainer ready to coach his fighter from the corner of the ring. Kim had a momentary panic when she realized Rufus was looking in her general direction, but the mole rat didn't appear to see her, instead completely focused on his master in the center of the room.

Ron stood there in the hub of the royal blue training mat, surrounded by several training dummies and dressed in the white martial arts gi she knew he'd brought back with him from Yamanouchi when he returned from the student exchange in tenth grade. Rarely had she seen him pull it out, as he normally preferred to wear the ones she gave him or his workout clothes for the training sessions he engaged in. However, there seemed to be something special about this outfit, as if Ron felt that wearing it would allow him greater focus on his task. She also noticed that it looked well-made, as even as tattered as it was it still gave the impression of being a garment of intense study.

Her boyfriend's head was currently bowed, and he seemed to be in deep focus. Kim could see him mouthing something, could tell that it was the same short phrase over and over, but from her current position it was difficult to make out what it was. She focused on his mouth a bit more intently, and tried to match her own lips to his, trying to discern what he was saying by attempting to say it herself. It took her a few minutes, but she was finally able to match her mouth movements to his. When she did, she got a bit of a shock, as she realized what phrase he was saying repeatedly over and over:

_Get mad. Get mad. Get mad._

Kim blinked a few times as the phrase settled in. _Wait, Ron's trying to make himself mad?_ she thought in surprise._ But why in the world would he want to do something as ferociously messed up as that?_

As she tried to figure out the riddle, she noticed the air about him beginning to shimmer ever so slightly, but passed it off as a trick of the lights. Refocusing on her love's face, she frowned as she saw his mouth forming into a hard, rigid line. Apparently whatever he was focusing on to draw out his anger was working, and as she watched the forced rage beginning to build, the shimmering around him began to grow in intensity. Doing her best to keep her shock from becoming audible, she realized that the fury her love was forcibly willing to build from deep within himself was being given off in a rather astounding matter! The shimmering effect was building around his frame, looking similar to the slight light refraction the battle suits gave off in invisibility mode which gave a slight clue as to where the wearer was, and Kim realized that what she was seeing was energy—Ron's anger was being given off in the form of an actual visible aura of energy! She'd heard of emotions seeming to radiate off of a person, but this was the first time she'd ever been absolutely sure that it was that very phenomenon she was bearing witness to.

As it radiated out from him, the aura began to take on a bluish hue. It was then that Kim realized just what he was up to. Although she hadn't yet brought it up since their sparring session during the first semester's finals, she had been working on ways to get Ron to access more of his Mystical Monkey Power. But up to that point, there had yet to be an opportune time to sit him down and discuss the matter. As she observed him now it became clear to her that something about the WEE fight had kick-started something in the young man, bringing forth a determined work ethic she'd always known was there but had never been able to coax to the surface. Somehow Ron had come to the conclusion that anger was what opened up the door to his powers, and he now seemed bound and determined to repeat the circumstances that had caused his powers to activate. However, there seemed to be something…different about her love as he stood there now that was different from most of the other times he'd used his latent abilities. He seemed so intense, and yet that intensity seemed to be completely unfocused.

All at once Ron's head popped up, accompanied by that same roaring blue energy she'd seen him bathed in when he'd held Viktor at his mercy. However just like the night of the WEE attack, it seemed wild and unfocused, like a rogue flame that could scorch the room at any moment. As she watched him going into action against the dummies around him, Kim immediately began to get a picture of what might be bothering him so much. Tai Sheng Pek Kwar was by nature an erratic and jittery kung fu style, tending to make the wielder look like a monkey when it was utilized, and Ron's gift of the Mystical Monkey Power combined with his naturally goofball antics tended to intensify the simian resemblance when he employed the martial art's techniques. However, his current display of the style looked like a monkey enraged, not one at peace as Kim knew he'd been taught. And the howls and screeches of monkeys she could hear sounded like the creatures were full of fury and hate, like rabid beasts out for blood.

As she watched him attack the training dummies, it became quickly apparent that the irregular nature of his movements was causing him to frequently miss his targets. Oh, there was no question that there was power behind his strikes, and she was sure that had the dummies not been designed to give away that the blows would have been pulverizing them to dust. However, the attacks lacked the focus of the true Monkey Master, something even a non-powered Ron had oddly enough never had trouble with before. Even back before he gained the MMP and barely rated above a beginner as a fighter, she'd always been at least a little impressed by his ability to hit the spots he aimed for. But now he seemed to be so out-of-control that even simple jabs were hitting way off of their apparent intended mark.

She wanted to say something, but at the same time she'd seen him like this before. What worried her is that quite often when Ron had gotten like this, like the night he'd belted Dack for roughly grabbing her arm outside the field house and during the WEE attack after Viktor had struck her, she had at least some trouble reaching him. If he saw her now when he was like this, after he had specifically said he didn't want her help, how would he react?

That thought brought an entirely new meaning to what he'd said less than a week earlier: _It's something I don't want your help on._

In her usual way, Kim had naturally assumed he'd meant something along the lines of, "I need your help but I want to prove I can do this on my own." But now she began to wonder if maybe he hadn't instead meant, "I don't want your help because you might get hurt." Indeed, watching him now she got the distinct feeling that if the two of them were sparring and he were in his current state it would be very easy for things to go wrong. Although she could easily follow his movements, Ron was moving so fast and so erratically that it wouldn't be a far stretch to assume she could wind up making a mistake, miss a block or dodge, and that one of his attacks could potentially do some serious damage if it hit the wrong spot. In addition, the red-head knew that from where they were it would take at least five to ten minutes to get to the G.V.U. Student Clinic, the closest available medical facility. And just based on what she'd learned from hearing her mother talk about her patients, Kim had become well aware that five to ten minutes was an eternity in terms of injury or emergency.

She turned around, and leaned slightly against the door. She started to lean more, but felt it give way just a bit. If not for her finely-tuned reflexes, she would have crashed backwards into the room, and Ron would instantly know she had discovered what he was up to…not to mention how upset he'd probably be that she hadn't told him she was on campus that evening instead of with the cheer squad at the basketball game. Whether that was upset hurt or upset angry didn't really have time to register as she quickly and acrobatically grabbed the small wall of the door frame and used it to readjust her position and lean against it instead of the door. The red-head shut her eyes tight, straining to listen to see if Ron had noticed the door moving, but the sounds of fists and feet meeting practice dummy and accompanied by frustrated growls continued at the same pace they had been going.

Deciding to play it cautious (and before she could change her mind) she quickly activated her battle suit, counting the seconds as it seemed to take forever to slide over her body before finally settling down. The moment the material stopped quivering, Kim instantly fired up the invisibility shield. Good thing to, as no sooner had she shimmered out of sight than Rufus came out in the hallway, a look of concern on his face. He looked around a bit, including right at her. The mole rat stared so long at where her face was that the thought began to cross her mind about whether or not he could actually see her somehow. Of course, Kim was well aware that normal naked mole rats had notoriously bad vision, but then Rufus had proven time and again that he was no ordinary member of his species. She actually began wondering if that odd scientist they had met in Hawaii while rescuing that girl's strange blue dog had been on to something, but she quickly brushed the idea of Rufus being a genetically created experimental alien out of her mind. She'd watched the little guy grow from the day Ron had bought him, had even spent a week taking care of him by herself while Ron was on a family trip to Paris (part of that spent keeping Rufus out of the hands of some of her more frequent villains), and as far as the red-head was concerned he was completely one-hundred-percent Earth-born naked mole rat.

After a few tense moments, her love's little buddy gave a very human shrug and shake of his head, even rubbing at the bridge of his nose with his right paw like a person might, and headed back into the old gym/dojo. At that moment, there was a quiet whine from her battle suit, and the invisibility function ceased, forcing her back into visibility. Glancing at the power bands on the suit, she saw them blinking feebly, and knew that pretty soon the suit would need a recharge. Deciding she'd pushed her luck enough, Kim was about to leave when she heard the attacks stop. Intrigued, she paused to listen in on what would happen next. And a few moments later, she was glad she had:

"Anybody there, Rufus?" she heard Ron call.

"Nuh-uh," the mole rat replied. "All clear."

The blonde sighed, and his voice sounded worn out. "Good. Call me crazy, but I feel like I've been followed tonight, like someone's actually interested in what I'm doing down here. Be nice if it was Kim, I guess. Even if I don't want her helping me with this so she doesn't get hurt, I kind of wish she was here cheering me on just the same. Makes things a lot easier for some reason when I know she's watching me."

Kim smiled at that, biting her lower lip just a bit to prevent herself from saying something and revealing that she had indeed been watching him just now.

"Aww," Rufus replied.

"Thing is, buddy, I can't seem to get the hang of this. I mean, when I talked to Sensei back in December he said that the fact that I was able access so much of the Mystical Monkey Power against Warhok and Warmonga should mean I can control it better, but to me it seems like I'm getting worse. At this rate, the only hope I've got is that we stop Monkey Fist from being revived. Cause if I have to access the full scope of my abilities to take him on, I could just as easily hurt KP without meaning to in the process."

Kim leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, careful this time to lean against the wall instead of the door. _So it is Ron's fear of hurting me that has him so against me helping him with this_, she thought, a strange and unfamiliar feeling of frustrated helplessness washing over her. _But then what can I do? I love him and I want to help him. Maybe if I knew more about the Mystical Monkey Power…_

That's when the thought struck her (rather hard and abruptly and directly between the eyes) that despite Ron having possessed it for close to four and half years, she'd never really done any digging into what the Mystical Monkey Power actually was. And even more surprising was realizing that she'd never even asked Wade to look into it either, always asking her primary mission research resource to find only what they needed to know at that moment when her love's abilities came into play. Despite everything she, Ron, Wade, and Rufus had gone through because of the mystical energies that filled the young man and his little buddy, all she knew about it was what she'd learned secondhand from Ron and others, and that was actually relatively little. She knew for certain that it gave a person great abilities in the art of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar, and that the Yamanouchi School and the mystical sword known as the Lotus Blade were connected to it somehow. She also had some understanding of the connection between the MMP and the whole Han/Yono struggle that had involved Hana Stoppable, but that understanding could only be called vague at best. Looking at the sitch now, it shamed the red-head to think that although she'd been trying to figure out a way for Ron to be able to access more of the energies that flowed through him, she had actually done very little to understand it herself.

_Face it, Possible,_ she thought glumly as her shoulders sagged, _Kigo was right all along. You only want Ron to access more of the MMP so it'll make you look good on missions. To you it's been nothing more than a tool up to this point._

She glanced once more into the training room where Ron was, the look on her face a smile twinged with sadness as she saw him get up to try accessing his powers again.

_Ron, you're so much more than I've ever given you credit for._

However, what smile there was quickly disappeared as she turned to go. As she reached the stairs, she could once more hear the sounds of hands and feet meeting with practice dummies, as well as what sounded like a few of the dummies collapsing as they finally gave out under Ron's strikes. She climbed the first half-flight of stairs, paused at the mid-point landing to retract the battle suit so she wouldn't get any suspicious looks, and then climbed the rest of the way up to the main level of Sentinel Station. The student union was currently crowded with students laughing, talking, and enjoying their evening meal, but at that moment Kim felt she might as well have been the only person on Earth. She walked slowly towards the exit, her arms wrapped tightly around herself and her head bowed in an attempt to block out the horrible feeling crawling all through her system. Anyone who saw her that evening as she made her way slowly across the campus towards Patriot Towers would never have recognized her as Kim Possible, world famous teen hero known for her positive attitude and upbeat outlook on life.

The moment she walked in the door, Monique frowned and cocked her head in surprise.

"Hey girl, aren't you supposed to…be… Hey, what's wrong?"

However, Kim didn't reply, instead drifting into her room like a silent, mournful phantom. She left the light off and removed the battle suit, storing it behind the secret panel. Then she slowly sank onto the bed. As she lay there, the ring on her left hand felt like it had suddenly gained an unusual amount of weight, but Kim couldn't even begin to fathom bringing herself to pull it off to relieve the pressure, the memory of doing that the night she'd met Allison still a very raw feeling. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled Pandaroo close and hugged him tight, drawing her comfiest blanket around her and the plush like a protective shield until only her head and his ears were visible.

There was a shadow cast into the room as Monique looked in on her best friend, but the darkened state of the room left no question in the African-American beauty's mind that this wasn't a situation that she would be able to help Kim work through, at least not at the moment. So she quietly and respectfully closed the door until it was just barely cracked enough to keep a whispered call for help or comfort at an audible level.

A few hours later, just about the time Ron would be picking her up at the Coliseum if the squad had gone to that evening's game, Kim's phone began to ring with "Could It Be", the tone that could only signal her love trying to call or text. However, Kim couldn't bring herself to answer it, and instead let it ring several more times and through several more calls, messages, and voicemail alerts. She also ignored the Kimmunicator when it began beeping insistently, even stuffing it into her sock drawer and shutting down her laptop so Wade couldn't see her before crawling back into bed and pulling Pandaroo and the blanket in tighter.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"Sorry, man, she's not answering," Wade replied sympathetically. "And she's stashed her Kimmunicator in one of her drawers and turned off her laptop so I can't just pop in on her."

Ron shook his head as he stood outside the darkened shadow that was Patriot Towers; at the moment being inside felt too confining. "I don't get it. I mean, did I do something wrong, Wade? And why didn't she tell me that the squad didn't go to the game tonight?"

The tech genius shrugged. "Got me, Ron. To tell the truth, I asked her that earlier and she wouldn't tell me what she was up to. She was actually pretty cryptic about the whole evening."

Ron frowned as he glanced upwards at the window he knew belonged to his fiancée's room. "But you're sure she is up there right now?"

Wade nodded. "Positive. I'm showing both her chip and her Kimmunicator signals in her dorm room bedroom. And neither one has moved since about 6:00 PM this evening. The vitals are all green, and they're showing she's awake. But she's just kind of…there."

Ron stared at the darkened glass pane, a worried expression creasing his brow. _What's wrong, KP?_

_

* * *

_

Bates snarled in frustration as he looked over the plans. "My dear Amelia," he growled. "We have a little less than two months until our final opportunity, and you have yet to show me how you plan to get rid of the other major obstacle to our reviving Lord Fist."

D.N. Amy merely grinned sweetly. "Oh, you worry too much, Bates. Besides, aren't there _two_ obstacles? _Two_ people we need to worry about, not just one?"

Bates sneering smile seemed to laugh at her. "No, I believe Lord Fist will want his own crack at Ron Stoppable. I think our main focus should be on the other hindrance the Lord faced so often."

The bespectacled woman pointed at a couple of her Orangupi and Tigorillas. "Again, you worry too much," she replied in a singsong voice. "My babies will easily protect us from that constant thorn in Cuddle Monkey's side. After all, I've made these latest ones a lot smarter than the ones that helped me when I first gave myself gorilla arms and feet."

The short British villain growled through his teeth. "I still don't understand why you changed back."

D.N. Amy smiled brightly. "Because when I finally caught Monty-kins after he ran from my hideout for that caper, he told me he liked me better with the human arms and feet. So I simply used my Genetic Zipper in reverse mode to split my DNA from the gorilla I'd fused myself with. Besides, I'm a lot more dexterous with human hands anyway, meaning less chance of making a mistake."

Bates smirked. "I hope you're right about that, my dear. Remember, we will only have a short time once we perform the first ritual before the window for the second will close forever. And I still don't like that we have yet to capture even one of the targets. Even if our opportunity is still a ways off, it would have things that much easier if we had at least one of them drained from hunger and captivity."

The rogue geneticist smiled slyly. "Don't forget Bates that I have dealt with this particular type of waiting game before when I had Stoppable and that ninja girl find Monty-kins for me. If we simply sit back and watch, the opportunities will present themselves. You said yourself that Cuddle Monkey's minions have already found a window for capturing the first target, and my Orangupi will have no trouble with the second primary target. Plus, I have a feeling that with the right pressure, the third target will come without even putting up a fight."

"But if they do not," her uneasy ally snapped, "we will have wasted our chance. That is something we cannot afford to do. These strikes must occur all at the same time, lest we risk being foiled before we can release Lord Fist. All three targets must be captured, or else we will fail."

However, D.N. Amy did not appear to have heard him, having returned her nose to the book she was reading. Scowling, Bates headed into an adjoining room, where they had stored the stone-encased form of the man he had served faithfully for most of his life. Slowly, he reached a hand up to place it respectfully on the petrified man's shoulder.

"Soon, Milord, you shall be free. I swear it upon my life. And then you may take your revenge on those who have wronged you, including that nuisance Ron Stoppable."

And although he hadn't expected a reaction, the moment the words were out of his mouth Bates could almost swear that he saw the Seal of the Yono shine just a bit, and the fingers on the right hand that bore it twitching ever so slightly.

* * *

The next morning confused those that knew Kim Possible even more. For perhaps the first time since she and Ron had started dating, she didn't wait for him to arrive before starting out to face the day. In fact, it was a great surprise to Ron and Felix when Monique thought they had left before she woke up, and just as equal a shock for her when Ron told her that he didn't know where the red-head was either.

"Man, what is with that girl?" Monique grated as the three of them headed across the campus towards Sentinel Station, which seemed like the most likely destination for Kim to head to by herself this early in the morning. "She's not acting at all like herself."

Ron shook his head in bewilderment while at the same time keeping it on a swivel and hoping to see a heart-shaped mane of flaming red hair. "You got me, Monique. Last night and this morning…it's almost like she's afraid to talk to me."

Felix seemed just as lost at the predicament his best friend's girlfriend had put the young man in. "Ron-man, are you sure you didn't do something to hurt her without meaning to? I mean, I hate to say it, but sometimes you can be a little dense when it comes to how she feels about certain things."

Ron merely looked at him helplessly. "I'm telling you, man, I haven't got a clue what I did. I don't even know why she didn't tell me the cheer squad wasn't going to the game last night. I mean, we seemed completely Hakuna yesterday at lunch."

At that very moment, they noticed their intended quarry coming out of a rarely-used side entrance to the student union, one that most students only took if they wanted to avoid being seen. All three immediately started running towards her—well, Ron and Monique started running, while Felix pushed his chair's acceleration to the max.

"Hey, Kim!"

"Kim!"

"KP!"

When she looked up at them however, she herself began to bolt in the opposite direction…straight into a girls' bathroom.

"Aww, man," Ron griped. "How are we supposed to find out what's going on now?"

Felix looked at him helplessly, but Monique's face was screwed into a determined gaze. "Uh, hello? Girl? Girl's bathroom?"

Ron brightened a little, and his speech started coming out a mile a minute. "Oh, man. Monique, can you please talk to her and find out what's wrong?

"Calm down, Ron," she said with a determined nod. "And you better believe I'm going to talk to her. Girl seems like she needs some serious sense knocked into her right now."

With that she barged straight into the restroom Kim had fled into. There were a few other girls inside, but Monique could see no sign of her BFF. She even bent down to check the feet, but none of the stalls had any shoes visible. Monique let out a sigh of frustrated exasperation.

"Look, girl, I know you're in here," she said loudly enough that the other girls in the room turned to look at her peculiarly. "And I'd rather not do this with everyone listening, but you're leaving me no choice, Kim."

One of the girls looked at Monique oddly. "Umm, if you're looking for Kim Possible, she ran into that first stall there," she said as she pointed at the appropriate compartment with the mascara brush she'd been using.

Monique nodded her thanks, and approached the signaled door. "Kim, c'mon, talk to me. What's with you?"

"Go away, Monique," Kim called, and Monique could hear the quivering in the voice. It sounded like Kim was barely holding things together.

"Not happening, girlfriend," Monique replied firmly before softening her voice a bit. "Please, Kim, we're worried about you. C'mon now, unlock the door and tell me what happened to you last night."

A few minutes passed with no indication that the red-head had heard her, but eventually there was the sound of the latch sliding back, although Kim left the door closed. Monique pushed on it gently, and it swung open to reveal Kim standing there clutching some of her books like they were her personal journals and she was worried her worst enemy was going to snatch them away.

"Monique, what kind of person am I?" she said, her voice wavering.

Monique looked at her for a second, trying to figure out what could have her best friend so freaked. "Kim, I don't know what's going on, but it's obvious you need to TIO with someone."

"TIO?" Kim replied, fixing her with a watery glance of confusion and seeming to relax a little.

"Talk It Out," Monique replied. "Whatever's bothering you, you're bottling it up inside when you've got at least a dozen people in your life, and probably a lot more than that, who would be willing to sit down and listen to what you have to say without judging you for it. And that's without your sister standing here in front of you or your hot fiancé who's standing just outside."

The relaxation quickly vanished, and Kim tensed up again. "No, I…I can't. I can't tell Ron…" she supplied rather feebly, the shakiness back in her voice.

Her BFF pondered what in the world that could mean, but also came to the conclusion that whatever this problem was it wasn't the type of thing that Kim wasn't ready to face Ron with just yet. She nodded, and turned and poked her head out the door where Ron and Felix were waiting.

"Well?" Ron said imploringly.

"Ron…Kim just needs a bit. You guys go ahead and go get some breakfast. We'll be there in time for the start of Professor Barkin's class."

Ron looked like he was about to protest, but Monique shook her head to silence him. He gave her a mournful, confused glance before shrugging in defeat.

"C'mon, Ron-man," Felix said in the way that only guy best friends can. "Let's give them some space."

"Sure," the blonde replied in a hurt tone that said in no uncertain terms he'd rather do the opposite.

Then the two young men turned and headed back in the direction of Sentinel Station. Monique watched them go, and then turned to find Kim standing there nervously. She smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I've put off the inevitable for a bit, but you know you're gonna have to face him sooner rather than later."

Kim nodded, although her eyes remained downcast. "I know, but…Monique, this isn't something I can just talk about with him. Not when he's one of the reasons I'm feeling like this."

Monique shook her head. "Girl, it's gonna happen whether you want it to or not. And what do you mean Ron's the reason for you acting like your head's anywhere but here? Are you telling me he did something to…?"

"No!" Kim interjected strongly and immediately, although her voice remained in that realm just before a person breaks down and cries. "Ron's completely innocent here! It's me."

The other young woman shook her head. "Alright, this is really messed up. And I think it's the type of thing the two of us need to sit and talk about. C'mon."

Monique knew that Kim normally would have asked where they were going, but she also knew this wasn't the normal Kim Possible she was dealing with. Instead of asking or putting up any sort of protest, Kim was uncharacteristically quiet and docile as she merely followed her BFF out the door. As they exited, Monique noticed Ron standing several feet away, Felix a few feet away and pulling at his best friend's arm insistently with one of the chairs mechanical arms. She shot him a meaningful look and shake of her head. He nodded solemnly before giving into Felix's urgings and turning once more towards Sentinel Station, his shoulders slumping even more than they normally did when he was feeling down.

_Sorry Ron, but this is "girl talk" time_, she thought as she watched him go.

Glancing at her watch, Monique made a quick note of the time, and led Kim to the Patriot Towers lot where her light-blue Contour was parked. The fact that she remained completely silent as she followed Monique's action of putting her school stuff in the trunk further strengthened her BFF's resolve to get the red-head to talk, and the young woman made a snap decision. She motioned for Kim to get in the passenger side, and Kim followed without resistance. In less than five Monique had pulled into the parking lot of the Blue Wolf, and guided Kim to one of the more private tables. The moment Kim sat down she began staring forlornly at the table, as if it contained the world's most interesting and most heartbreaking painting hidden within its lacquered, wood-grain surface. Monique took a few moments to order their drinks, only able to guess at what Kim wanted since she remained silent, and returned to the table.

"Okay girl, spill. What has you so afraid to talk to or even look at Ron?"

"I can't talk about it," the red-head replied.

"Not gonna fly, girl. We're not leaving here until you tell me what has you acting like you were just told to drop the missions for good."

Kim's head remained in a down-cast position for a few minutes before she finally spoke. "Monique, do you think I take him for granted?"

Monique smiled. "Who? Ron? NITL, Kim. And what would make you think you do take him for granted?"

The red-head's face did not lose its mask of despair, nor did her head rise. "Monique, I…I followed him last night. Because I wanted to know what he was doing and he wouldn't tell me. And I didn't tell him the squad wasn't going to the game last night because I didn't want him to know I was doing it. I even used the battle suit's invisibility function to make sure he wouldn't see me tailing him."

The African-American beauty shook her head. "That doesn't sound like something that would bother you like this, girlfriend. I mean, yes, it's a little OOC for you and I get that you might feel a little underhanded about it, but I don't see where you had much choice in the matter. After all, you told me he hasn't been exactly forthcoming in the details about WHBUT."

Kim looked up. "Huh?"

"What He's Been Up To."

"Oh," the young woman replied meekly. "Mon, I know that's your normal way of speaking, but could we not use the acronyms right now?"

Monique nodded, sensing the hurt and confusion behind her friend's voice. "Sure, girl. So then tell me why it bothers you that you wanted to satisfy your curiosity about what he was doing?"

Kim shook her head. "That's not what bothers me, Monique. It's what I found…"

At that moment, their order arrived in to-go cups. Kim slowly opened her straw and half-heartedly made a few attempts to poke it through the lid of the chilled cappuccino, leaving the drink on the table and drawing lightly on the straw once it was in. However, Monique noticed that although nothing was yet coming up, Kim also didn't seem to be trying any harder to get it to.

"Well, then, what did you find?"

Kim stopped her depressed attempts to gain access to the beverage. "I found him working on his Monkey Powers."

Monique smiled. "That's a good thing, isn't it? After all, you told me you'd been working on ways to get him to use it more, and that you were worried about how he was going to react to it. So if he's doing it on his own, that solves your problem, right?"

The young woman shook her head slowly, again letting her head droop. "I guess it did that, but in the process it also opened my eyes to a bigger one. One I didn't want to admit to until last night threw it in my face and forced me to see it."

"And that would be…"

Kim remained silent, both hands on her cup while she stared through the clear lid as if the answer to her friend's question lay hidden somewhere within the lumpy mass of the icy concoction.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Monique took a drink of her latté and sighed a little. "Kim, I want to help you, but you're going to have to connect the dots here."

The red-head's shoulders sagged even more. "Monique, I've never even taken the time to look into what the Mystical Monkey Power was. Despite everything I've said about wanting Ron to understand it better so he can use it more effectively, it's really been me who's completely clueless about his abilities. I overheard him say last night he's doing this so he can protect me, and meanwhile I'm the one who's been ferociously selfish about the whole sitch."

"Come again?" Monique replied confusedly. "Sorry, Kim, but I don't see that."

Kim looked up and frowned. "Monique, tell me something. If you saw Ron gain better control of his abilities and didn't know he'd been working on it on his own, who would you automatically assume is responsible for the improvement?"

"Probably you," her BFF replied before she got a sudden look of comprehension. "Ohhhhhh…so you're worried that people are going to think you helped him out just so it would make you look better when he looked more capable."

Kim nodded solemnly before returning to her unenthused attempts to drink her beverage, which still refused to advance up the straw. However, the young woman still didn't seem at all motivated to get at the chilled refreshment. The two of them sat there in silence for a few minutes before Monique noticed the look of shame hadn't yet lessened on the red-head's face.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" she said in a way that made it sound more like a statement than a question.

Kim took a nervous breath as she nodded. "Monique, do you want to know the real reason I hadn't yet brought up to Ron some of my ideas on how he could get a better handle on his abilities? Why I _wouldn't_ help him get more adept at using it?"

Monique pondered for a moment. "Didn't you say it was because you thought most of your ideas probably wouldn't work for him?"

Kim shook her head slowly. "I thought that was it, but last night I realized why I don't help him. It's because I _don't want him to pass me up._" The last part held a lot of sting that Monique could tell Kim was directing solely at her own red-headed self.

However, the African-American young woman shook her head. "Kim, that's…that's TACR."

"It is _NOT_ ridiculous," Kim replied. "He keeps talking about holding me back, and yet _I've_ been the one holding _him_ back."

"It is, girl," Monique countered. "And why would you think you ever held Ron back?"

"Face it, Monique, I'm a spotlight hog," Kim replied forlornly, her tearing at her herself getting more and more vicious with each sentence she spoke. "I've always had to be the center of attention. If I wasn't, would that press conference last May have even been necessary? If I was willing to share the spotlight, would there have been any reason at all to tell people that Ron was a partner and not just a sidekick? Or even more than that, would people have questioned all the fights we've had with Monkey Fist, or asked if I was trying to keep Ron down by not letting him have the credit that's rightfully his? I mean, I'm really no better than…"

_SMACK!_

In a flash, Monique had reached across the table and slapped Kim across the cheek—not hard, but certainly enough to get the red-head's attention. The contact wasn't even forceful enough to leave a mark, the cheek a light pink for barely an instant before returning to Kim's normal skin tone. However, it still made the red-head stop mid-sentence and stare at her BFF in shock.

"Monique…" she replied in surprise and with a little bit of hurt edge as her hand reached up slowly to cup her cheek.

"Sorry, girl, but this cutting your self down is going to stop right now!" the young woman said with a determined frown as her hands returned to grip her beverage cup. "Even if half that stuff you just said is even remotely true, no one that matters has ever seen it that way. And that _especially_ includes Ron. You know he would rather support you than take the spotlight from you. And the fact that you're thinking that he would hold any of those things against you is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard come out of that mouth. I'd be willing to bet that if the two of you could replay everything you've done the past five years…heck, even the entirety of your lives…with the knowledge you have now, he'd do it just the same way the second time around, regardless of who gets the credit. That boy _LOVES_ you, girl, and he has for some time—a lot longer than you two have been together I'll wager. Just like I told you the day after the Junior Prom, all he _wants_ is for you to stay happy, regardless of what that means happens to him. I'd be willing to bet that he'll always do whatever he can to keep you in the sun because that's where he knows you like to be—where he knows you're happiest. It doesn't matter to him how he looks as long as he knows you're happy with how people see you and how you see yourself."

"But Monique, he deserves to be there just as much as I do," Kim countered strongly, as if she were defending Ron to Bonnie or someone equally as snobbish towards him as opposed to one of their best friends. "And probably _more_ so than I do because he's worried about and scared of half of the stuff we do and still finds the courage to do it. Even Joss could see that he's more of a hero than I am the first time she met him."

Monique smiled, but the determined push was still there. "Kim, even if that is true, you're going to have to accept that he's always going to make sure you get the light before he does. And it's never been because you're trying to keep him down—it's because that's where Ron chooses to be. You heard him when you guys talked to Heather Tyler, just like I did. He said, 'The majority of what I am, I can attribute in some way, shape, or form to my friendship and now relationship with this absolutely wonderful woman.' And you and I both know he meant you alone, Kim."

"But…" Kim started to interrupt.

"No buts, girl," Monique cut her off. "If anything, that sounds to me like Ron would rather be there to support you than standing there next to you. Not to say that he wouldn't probably try to fight it tooth and nail if you tried to split from him, as that is something he's wanted for as long as I've known you two. But that boy is perfectly fine walking a step behind you. And you've got to stop beating yourself up and just let him. Who knows—maybe he likes being back there so he can catch you when you do fall backwards."

Kim started to smile, but then the frown reappeared. "But then why is he afraid he's holding me back?"

Monique shrugged. "That's not something I can answer, Kim. It's something you're going to have to ask him. But I can offer you a bit of advice about the subject: regardless of what he says, you gotta let him say it unless it's something you know he's completely misread. Even if it sounds ridiculous, you're gonna have to accept that that's the way he sees things right now. After you know his view of the problem, _then_ you can start to try to change his mind. But if you don't know where he's starting from and why he feels like he does, you could make things worse. Biggest thing you've gotta remember is he's a guy and you're a girl—you're gonna see things differently. And the only way to get him to see things the way you do is explain it to him. And give it time, girl—it ain't gonna happen overnight."

The red-head's smile returned, although it was still a little timid and unsure-looking in its appearance. However, Monique figured that given the situation it was probably the best they were going to manage at this point. Glancing at her watch, she smiled.

"Speaking of time, we need to get going if we're gonna make it to Professor B.'s class on time."

Kim glanced at her Kimmunicator, surprised to find they'd been sitting in the coffee house almost a full hour.

"Thanks, Monique," she said as they walked out to the other young woman's car, their drinks in hand.

Monique grinned in a way that was very reminiscent of a certain blonde. "As you so often put it, 'No big'," she said as they climbed in the vehicle and buckled up. "Just remember the ear's always open if you care to use it."

The African-American beauty pulled the light-blue Contour into the parking lot of Patriot Towers just as the majority of the commuter crowd began arriving, and Kim realized the extent of what Monique had just done for her by taking her off-campus to help her deal with the sitch. If they had returned a moment later, her BFF would have been forced to park at least a hundred and fifty to two hundred yards farther away than she had. As a result, she hugged the young woman the minute they had both retrieved their things from the trunk.

"I mean it: Thanks, Monique."

Monique smiled as the two of them began walking to class with their arms hanging friendly-style on each others shoulders. The minute they walked into the Wayland building, they found Ron sitting there nervously with Felix trying to get him to calm down and travel the remaining distance to their Freshman English II class. He popped up immediately when he saw them, so fast that his backpack swung up and conked him on the back of the head hard. Kim couldn't resist a giggle when it happened, and the sound caused Ron to smile his goofy grin, evidently putting whatever fears had been developing in his mind to at least a temporary rest.

"You okay, KP?" he said as he hugged her.

"I will be, Ronnie," she replied as she pecked him softly on the cheek before letting her head find its familiar comfy spot on his shoulder. "And I promise I'll tell you what's going on this afternoon after practice when we can sit down and talk about it."

However, no sooner had she picked Ron up from the stadium that afternoon than they got a mission call to apprehend some small-time crooks who had pulled off a large bank job near St. Louis. And with Joss sitting next to them in the helicopter that gave them a ride Kim didn't feel entirely comfortable discussing something so personal between her and Ron, thinking she could simply wait until they wrapped up this latest assignment. But even with her cousin's assistance the job still seemed to take forever. By the time they got done and were back on the G.V.U. campus it was very late and both were completely exhausted to the point that they just fell into bed in their mission clothes. Despite that, Kim made extra sure that Ron felt her snuggling up to him as close as she could before the throes of sleep claimed them for the night, and she smiled when her efforts were rewarded by him pulling her even closer and kissing her head just before he started snoring.

* * *

Wade stared bleary-eyed at the monitor. Thanks to a couple different programs he had running, he'd discovered that Global Justice had somehow been on to his snooping sessions, and so he had taken to changing up the hours of his information searches, hoping that if they saw the bouncing signals coming at all hours it would throw them off his trail at least a little bit. Not that it made the going any easier if he was up at 2:00 AM instead of 2:00 PM. At first he'd expected the security to be a little more lax when dealing with the GJ techs who worked the graveyard shift, but if anything they seemed more competent and skilled at blocking outside threats than their daytime counterparts.

As he continued his search, he also kept picking up another oddity in the system as well. In practically every file he visited, he found the same electronic footprints left by the same outside source. Had it been just another hacker, Wade wouldn't have been as intrigued, but this person was almost as good as he was—maybe even an equal. In fact, the only thing that clued the tech genius in on the idea that it was the same person each time was that the mystery hacker kept leaving bugs in the system that had been designed to alert the planter if the file changed. And all the bugs, though each was different on the surface, seemed to be heading back to the same source. Wade even tried to follow one of them back to its origin, but ended up in web of round-a-bouts that he knew could land him with a virus if he chose the wrong path.

However, what really set the young man's interest on the subject to blazing was the number of times he found the footprints of his "rival" on files concerning himself or the other members of Team Possible. So far, none of the data that had Wade had found and that the mystery hacker had marked contained anything important about any of them, but the sheer frequency of the footprints on the files, particularly on ones about Kim, Ron, or himself, made tech genius worry about what this person could want that they apparently thought Global Justice had on the three of them. Wade also found himself in the uncomfortable predicament of what to do with the information.

On the one hand, he could tell Dr. Director and Global Justice about the mystery hacker, but that would involve revealing that he himself had been snooping around in files he wasn't supposed to be accessing. But on the other hand, leaving this unknown party unchecked could mean that he was leaving himself and his friends wide open for something damaging or dangerous. It was a puzzle that would have confounded anyone else, but Wade had a few tricks he could use to stop the hacker himself. It involved a few things he wasn't entirely comfortable with, but he felt a lot better employing them than if he were to do nothing.

Knowing that the longer he remained in one place in the GJ mainframe the more likely he was to be caught, Wade quickly worked to attach computer spikes to a couple of the bugs that seemed a bit more active. They weren't the type that Team Impossible had used to fry his own systems, but they would still hamper the mystery hacker's efforts a bit. However, knowing this, he also attached a fail-safe to each one that would prevent it from tearing up the whole system if the snooper were a part of Global Justice itself. The moment the last one was attached, the young man killed the connection to disguise his signal so that if the techs who worked for the worldwide spy network detected him they wouldn't think he'd been trying to damage them instead.

* * *

The rest of the week went by like Wednesday evening, with Kim and Ron constantly finding themselves busy, so that by the time the two of them were traveling to Go City for Andy and Sheila's wedding, the issue was still hanging over them. And unfortunately, it had progressed to the point that Ron had again begun to think it was something he'd done, resulting in him doing something that Kim was both touched by and a little bit tweaked at.

"Ron, there was no reason to book us a room at the Go City Plaza," she insisted as she steered the Sloth through the air Friday evening. "That place is way too ritzy for us, and besides Sheila already offered us one of the spare rooms at the Go Tower."

Ron merely shook his head and smiled. "KP, I just wanted to treat you to something special this weekend since Valentine's is next week. And since you were still mad at me…"

"I'm not mad at you!" she half-exclaimed, half-cried. "How many times do I have to tell you that what happened Tuesday night isn't your fault?"

Her boyfriend stared at her with a confused and lost look in his eyes. "But then what is it? Kim, since that night you've been acting like you're being forced to do something you don't want to do. And I can only think of one thing that might possibly be, something I might add scares me in ways I can't even begin to explain."

Kim pondered in confusion for a moment before her mind registered on the path his brain had been taking.

"Ron, no!" she exclaimed when it hit her. "The last thing I want to do is break up with you."

"Then tell me what's going on," he implored her, taking her hand comfortingly and refusing to let go when she tried to jerk away.

Realizing that whether she wanted to or not it was time to face this, Kim quickly started lowering the Sloth towards the ground. Despite how frantic Ron seemed to be to know what she had been thinking, she had a feeling it was going to drive her into greater hysterics—and the last thing they needed was for her to break down emotionally while trying to fly the car to Go City. The moment the vehicle was safely on the ground, she killed the engine, and got out to come around to his side. Ron looked extremely confused as she guided him out to join her on the hood, which thankfully didn't feel hot thanks to the type of paint the Tweebs had put on it to keep it relatively scratch free. Once they were both seated, she leaned in next to him, letting herself get as comfortable as she could before she faced what was probably going to be a very uncomfortable conversation.

"Ron…I don't know how to say this…" she began.

The young man kissed the top of her head comfortingly. "Then just start rambling, KP. Eventually it'll come out."

So she took a deep breath and took his advice. And once she started talking, it didn't seem like she could stop.

"…and it just seems like I always do it, Ron. Even when you should be the one in the spotlight with me in the shadows, it seems like all I do is take the praise for my self. And whether I want to admit it or not, part of it has to do with the fact that I always have to be the best. Even when Kigo threw it in my face, I couldn't admit it. But then when I saw you Tuesday evening, it made me realize that even though I've been trying to push you to use your abilities more I know next to nothing about them, and that even when you do improve on your own most people credit me with making it happen even if I have nothing to do with it. And I know you deserve the praise and honor yet I do nothing to correct them. I've called a lot of people self-centered, like Bonnie, Junior, Rachael, Dack, and a host of others, but the truth is that I'm probably the most self-centered person I know because I always have to hog the spotlight even if I have to unconsciously shove you out of it to get it to focus on me and it's not fair to you that I do that and I can't…"

She would have continued, but her voice cracked as the sadness and shame finally overtook her and broke her down to tears. Ron said nothing, merely holding her close, even shifting her so that she was basically sitting on his lap with her forehead tucked against the crook of his neck. And he didn't say a word when she buried her face in his shirt despite the fact that there was the audible sound of her sniffles mixed in with the sobs. He merely held her tight, adding a slight rocking motion, knowing that she needed to get this out of her system and the best way to do that was to let the dam break and for all the water to come rushing forth. Eventually she seemed to calm down, and he pulled off the jersey he was wearing, using a clean section of it to dry her eyes. Looking out at the clearing she'd chosen, he smiled, and decided to do something he hoped she'd understand.

Slowly, he helped her to her feet, and guided her to stand a few feet in front of him. Then he very carefully chose a position a couple feet from her but where he could still reach out and touch her.

"KP, look. What do you see?"

She sniffed. "The sun. But Ron, this is exactly what I'm talking about. With you standing there, you're standing in my shadow."

Ron smiled. "Not the way I see it. Take a look behind me. What do you see there?"

Kim followed his suggestion, seeing the Sloth sitting there. "Just the car."

He shook his head. "No, it's my shadow. Made to look longer, taller, and stronger because yours is there supporting it."

The red-head looked again, and was surprised to notice that he spoke the truth. His shadow, normally just as gangly as he was, did indeed look more striking because it blended with hers at the bottom.

"Kim, this is how I picture us. You're in the light because that where you like to be, but I'm the one who's made stronger because I get to be here to support you. I'm better because of you, and it's not because you chose me to be with you, but because you chose me to be here to back you up. And what Monique said was right: being back here means that if you fall I'm here to catch you. Even if I get complete mastery of the Mystical Monkey Power, my main purpose in using it is to help you on our missions. I don't know if Joss has ever told you this, but when I made you stay at G.V.U. in August, I wasn't nearly as effective because you weren't there for me to support. That's part of the reason I got that cut on that mission, because without you there I wasn't entirely sure how to do things. Luckily Joss was there to get my head in the game, because if I'd gone solo it could have ended badly."

Kim shook her head, and closed the couple feet between them in a few steps, cupping his face in her hands.

"Ronnie, I know you'd have done just fine because I have faith in you. And when I say I couldn't save the world without you, I mean it. Think about it: on the times I've tried to solo things, I usually get caught pretty quickly. And I think one of the main reasons I nearly got put out of commission during the Lil' Diablos sitch is because I stopped caring about you and cared more about that _thing_ and what having him was doing for my social status. Remember what happened after you told me how you felt? I came back stronger than ever, and it was because I knew you were there with me."

He started to say something, but the loving kiss she punctuated the end of her say with effectively cut him off. It wasn't long before their arms were wrapped tightly around each other. Had either one bothered to notice, they would have seen not the shadows of two people, but instead one solid one that looked stronger than either of them looked alone.

When they finally broke for air, Ron glanced at the time. "I'd say we'd better get going. After all, we want to make it to the Plaza at a decent time so we can get changed before the rehearsal dinner."

Kim smiled and sighed. "Ron, you were going to do that because you thought I was mad at you…"

The young man smiled as he opened the passenger side door for her. "And now I'm doing it because I want you to know how much I love you and want to be with you. Besides, I think this wedding might get crazy enough without us staying in Go Tower."

Kim settled in as he climbed in the driver's seat. "Tell me about it. Weird enough that we're actually _going_ to the wedding of our former arch foes, but pinging a ferociously high Ten on the scale that I'm going to be the Maid of Honor to the woman who used to want to seriously hurt us."

As he started the Sloth and took it into the air, he nodded. "To be honest with you, KP, something inside keeps telling me that that won't be the only thing unusual about this weekend."

"Ron, you're imagining things," she said with a smile. "Andy and Sheila are trying to lead normal lives, and this wedding will reflect that."

* * *

_a/n_

_So it's finally time for Andy and Sheila's wedding. Is Kim right, and all will go according to plan? Or is Ron the one with the clearer view in predictions that things could get strange? Furthermore, who else is interested in this wedding? And who is the mysterious hacker that Wade found traces of in the Global Justice mainframe, and what are they after?_

_Some questions will be answered, others will be left hanging, and new ones will be posed in the next installment of "G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush"._

_:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_

_Sorry for the delay folks, but if you've been following my blog as well you know that I inadvertently combined this series with my original novel. As a result, I had to go back through and figure out which things were part of my KP-verse and which were supposed to go in the book. Thankfully it's all sorted now (at least the fanfiction is), and I can continue publishing this thing._

_I'd also like to thank all of my readers and reviewers. Thanks to you, this thing just crossed into 18k Hit territory! THANK YOU! *bows*_

_Also, for those of you waiting on pictures, your wait draws ever closer to an end. I finally fixed the problems I saw in my drawings, and will soon start publishing to my DevArt account the illustrations of this glimpse into Kim and Ron's world._

_And speaking of illustrated stories, those that follow the artist/writer known as **Slyrr** should know that he recently posted the next chapter to his "All Things Probable 3: A Friend in Darkness". Go check it out if you want to see a true KP master at work. :)_


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 is up and running!

- Sheila's feeling the nerves as the wedding approaches, but that doesn't stop her from having to face a confrontation she'd rather avoid.

- A pair of surprise guests to the wedding discuss their feelings on the invitation.

- At the rehearsal dinner, Kim is forced into a confrontation with someone she found a recent hatred for.

- A sinister group makes their plans.

- An unwelcome visitor shows up, leading to some surprise revelations.

- Kim and Ron finally talk about a sticky subject.

- And finally the wedding of Andy Lipsky and Sheila Godfrey arrives, unfortunately with a dark cloud hanging over it...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Kim settled in as he climbed in the driver's seat. "Tell me about it. Weird enough that we're actually _going_ to the wedding of our former arch foes, but pinging a ferociously high Ten on the scale that I'm going to be the Maid of Honor to the woman who used to want to seriously hurt us."

As he started the Sloth and took it into the air, he nodded. "To be honest with you, KP, something inside keeps telling me that that won't be the only thing unusual about this weekend."

"Ron, you're imagining things," she said with a smile. "Andy and Sheila are trying to lead normal lives, and this wedding will reflect that."

* * *

Sheila gazed out the window, smiling when she saw a very familiar purple car flying over the Go City skyline. She didn't know why, but somehow seeing the Princess's car descending towards the city made her feel a lot more secure about the next few days. It was similar to the feeling she used to get when she saw her former nemesis coming to stop her ex-employer/current boyfriend's latest scheme. Every time she'd seen that car when she'd been a villain, it had automatically sent a feeling that she should be preparing for everything to start going wrong crawling up her spine, as if that vehicle had been a harbinger that soon Shego and Drakken would either be apprehended or fleeing in the hover car. However, now it sent a feeling though Sheila that nothing could go wrong and all would be well, a feeling she was grateful for.

The closer the wedding had gotten, the more stressed she seemed to get. Even with everything going perfectly in the planning, from the fact that the cake would be perfect to the news that the florist had managed to create flawless bouquets to the revelation that the light sea-foam green dress she had picked up was going to fit her like a glove, Sheila still couldn't shake the feeling that something was destined to go drastically wrong. As a result, she felt like a complete nervous wreck, and that compounded with the fact that she felt like she could pop and give birth to the twins at any moment had her nerves so frayed and her tension so high that she hadn't been able to relax at all.

And speaking of the twins, she still couldn't get the conversation she'd had with her mother just before Christmas out of head…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

_ "For reasons I can't explain, you have two copies of the serum I created in your system. You have the one that molded to your genetic code, and somehow you also contain the original. I found that out just about a year after the comet hit, when I was looking for ways to undo what I had done. See, Carmine and his thugs may have been the ones that exposed you to the serum, but I was the one who created it and was too proud to destroy it before he got to it."_

_ Sheila suddenly got very worried. "Momma, does this mean my kids are going to have it in them too?"_

_ Her mother's silence had said it all._

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Based on what she had learned from Hego, the Risattis had long ago abandoned the majority of their operations in Go City, mainly due to Team Go constantly and convincingly defeating the Italian gangsters without much trouble. However, they still maintained operations in the city limits, and if they somehow learned that Sheila held the key to her mother's formula within her own DNA there would be little doubt that they'd come after her. And the fact that the twins she would soon give birth to could quite possibly have it in their systems as well made her all that much more worried. Add in that she most likely wouldn't be able to fully defend herself until the kids were born, and the whole situation had her thoroughly stressed out.

In fact, there wasn't much swirling around in her mind that she was able to relax over when she thought about it. Even things that she should have been able to brush off easily were only adding to the pile of things that wouldn't let her mind rest easy.

"Sheila, babe, what are you so stressed over? Seriously."

_Speaking of things I should be able to brush off_, she thought with a sharp breath out her nose. "What is it, Eddie?"

"Just wanted to talk to you. Seriously."

Sheila forced a smile as she faced her future husband's cousin. "Make it quick, Eddie. I've still got a lot to do before we head off to the rehearsal dinner this evening."

Motor Ed tugged uncomfortably at the collar of the nice, button-up light gray shirt he wore. On anyone else it would have looked nice, but on the confirmed petrol-head/metal-rock-fanatic the shirt and nice black slacks looked almost comically ridiculous. And while he probably should have been dressed nicer as Andy's Best Man, just the fact that they'd gotten him into something besides his normal shirt with torn-off sleeves and roughed up grey jeans was a miracle in itself. And since it had been a major hassle to get him to agree to wear a tuxedo for the actual ceremony, Sheila was perfectly fine with letting him wear whatever he wanted to the rehearsal dinner as long as it looked nice.

"Felt like I needed to apologize for not making a move on you sooner, babe. I seriously was totally into you like that. I actually still am a bit into that green magic of yours. Seriously."

Sheila sighed. _This I need,_ she thought sarcastically. "Eddie, is this really the right time for this? I mean, I'm about to marry your cousin tomorrow afternoon. A ceremony where you're serving as Best Man, I might add."

The mullet-haired mechanical genius frowned. "Yeah, wanted to talk to you about that as well. Uhh, not sure how to tell you this, but I feel kind of uncomfortable being in this thing. Seriously. Mainly because there's a reason I didn't make a move. I kind of…met someone this summer. Seriously. And while you're beautiful and all, she's got this serious spark to her that I just can't get enough of. Seriously."

Sheila shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Eddie, I don't know if you ever noticed this, but whatever took place between you and me was purely a one-sided infatuation on your part. Only reason I joined you on that Kepler escapade was because I thought you were actually a serious threat and might be able to succeed where your cousin couldn't."

Motor Ed looked extremely uncomfortable. "But you went totally along with everything. Well, up to the point I told you there was no plan and that you were an accessory and not an accomplice. Seriously. Why would you do that if you weren't attracted to me? Seriously?"

The mint-skinned woman frowned. "Eddie, think about it—I was a villain who focused on causing as much chaos as possible. And that seemed like what you were doing with that caper. To be honest, I would have gone with anyone who came up with that plan."

"So if I tried to pull that again, you seriously wouldn't help me out? Seriously? Man, that's a major foul, babe. Seriously."

Sheila sighed as she pushed roughly past him and began pushing him out of her room, the snarkiness coming out full force as she replied to him. "First off, Eddie, I'm pregnant and about to pop. Secondly, I'm with your cousin, in a lot more than just a working relationship now…plus the fact that me and him are getting married tomorrow and I will be 'Mrs. Andrew Theodore P. Lipsky' by this time tomorrow night. And if you haven't noticed both me and Andy _gave_ _up_ the villain's life for the sake of these kids, and are trying to repair our reputations and lead somewhat normal lives. So the answer is most definitely, 'No, I wouldn't help you'. Now _drop_ it."

"But Shego…I mean, Sheila…"

Her fiancé's cousin looked completely dumbstruck as she pushed him out the door and shut it in his face. Sheila hated that she'd had to be that abrupt with him, but sometimes it seemed to be the only way to get Eddie Lipsky to hear what she was saying. As she headed to her closet to get changed for that evening, she couldn't resist a laugh.

_Me and Motor Ed…yeah, right. Like that could ever happen._

Of course, less than a year earlier she would have said the same thing about her and Andy. But that wasn't the type of path her brain needed to be taking at this point. After all, she was marrying him the following afternoon assuming everything went right…

* * *

James frowned as he turned the invitation over and over in his hands. "I still don't know about this Anne. I mean, I know Kimmie-cub says that Drew has reformed, but I still have problems with going to his wedding."

Anne smiled at her husband as they approached Go City by highway. "I feel the same way you do, Jimmy, but you've got to look at this from his point of view. If Kimmie is right, it means this invitation is Drew's attempt to repair old bridges. You said yourself that Bob Chen and Amir Ramesh also received invitations to this thing. To me, that means he's trying to reconnect with his college friends, something you and I both know our daughter's arch-foe Dr. Drakken wouldn't try to do. If Dr. Drakken was the one who wanted us there, he probably would have kidnapped us like he did when he sent those Bebe robots after the three of you, or like the time he captured you when he wanted your research on the Hephaestus Project."

James's frown deepened. "That's exactly my point, Anne: we are _willingly_ going to help celebrate the marriage of two people who on numerous occasions have tried to hurt our family. How would you feel if Sheldon Director or Francis Luhrman had been the ones to invite us?"

Anne shook her head. "James, neither one of those two have reformed like Drew Lipsky has, and based on what Kimmie told me about the first week of January Sheldon is _still_ trying to do her and Ron harm. And if they had sent the invitations, I'd have probably burned it immediately. And while I understand your apprehension, remember that we're not doing this for Drew and Sheila: we're going because Kim asked us to honor the invitations and be there so she wouldn't feel as awkward about the situation. Remember, our daughter is going to be serving as the Maid of Honor for a woman who used to do everything she could to seriously hurt her. Plus, from what I understand Sheila's brothers are going to be there as well, and you and I both know they are just as concerned as Kim about fighting the evil this world has."

James sighed. "Circus folk. But I guess you're right. Though I still question leaving the boys to their own devices this weekend."

Anne grinned. "Oh, they only think they're home alone. I talked to Jean, and she promised to make sure we still have a house when we get back. Plus, I think we might be getting towards the end of the days where we have to call the roof repairman. I don't know if you've noticed, but the boys aren't nearly as close as they used to be."

Her husband nodded. "Oh, I've noticed. The other day when they were helping in the garage Jim kept going for the more organizational tasks while Tim kept focusing on the physical tasks. And believe it or not, I heard they're actually _not_ collaborating on the Science Fair this year."

Mrs. Dr. Possible smiled. "Well, that should make Steve Barkin happy, since it most likely means that for once the school won't have to worry about more repairs to the gymnasium."

James let loose with a laugh at that, and Anne looked at him, a perplexed raise of her eyebrows taking over her face.

"What's so funny, Jimmy?"

Her husband grinned. "You realize we might actually make it through an entire year without one of our children causing damage, directly or indirectly, to the campuses of Middleton's school system?"

The corners of Anne's mouth started curling upwards as she tried to reign in the laugh and focus on the drive. As they entered the heart of Go City, she started looking around for their hotel. That's when she noticed a very distinctive and modified purple Roth SL Coupe sitting under the parking lot of the Go City Plaza Hotel. She smiled when she saw it, as she was well aware of what Ron had planned since the young man had called her to make sure it would be okay—however, she also knew that her husband was unaware that their daughter's fiancé had paid for a rather nice room at the expensive hotel for himself and Kim to stay in alone that weekend. And while Anne was positive that certain things would not be happening, she was also familiar with how James Timothy Possible routinely saw these particular situations. That had actually been the reason she had insisted on being the one driving. Looking ahead, she made a snap decision and quickly raced a changing light to put the Plaza's parking lot a little more out of view.

James eyed her confusedly. "What was that, Anne?"

She grinned. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention and knew I wouldn't be able to stop in time to stay out of the intersection."

"Okay," James replied with a smile, completely oblivious to the true reason for his wife's maneuver.

At that moment, a pair of black cars with dark windows came very close to hitting them as they drove past the alleyway the vehicles were exiting. The look of both vehicles made the Drs. Possible feel very uncomfortable, but their own hotel came into view soon after and they brushed the negative vibes off rather quickly as they pulled into the parking lot.

* * *

The gathering that evening at Go City Bistro seemed relatively…_normal_ to Kim and Ron for a rehearsal dinner that precluded the marriage of a former "hero of Go city" turned former villainess and a former major criminal. Tensions were actually at relative ease as the families of Sheila Godfrey and Andy Lipsky met each other. Of course it probably was due to the fact that most of them had already met…although there were certainly a few surprised looks on the faces of Sheila's extended family when her parents walked through the door, as most had believed Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey had perished in the car wreck nearly fourteen years earlier.

"It wasn't our choice," defended her mother. "But with the Risattis on our trail we didn't have many options. Ask Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, they can vouch exactly how far Carmine is willing to go to get to us."

However, Kim and Ron were dealing with another problem the evening had presented. As the red-head was the Maid of Honor, the two of them of course had to be introduced to the rest of the main wedding party. The other bridesmaid would be Hego's girlfriend Clarice Dubois, while Hego would be serving as a groomsman. Motor Ed would be serving as Best Man, and while it would be awkward for the two young people to not be going at it with the mullet-haired villain, the problem dealt with his date for the event…

"Sorry to disappoint you, Adrena Lynn," Kim said through a forced smile as she faced the extreme teen, "but the answer to your question is no, there hasn't been any negative backlash for me from our most recent fight." As she said it, she gripped Ron's hand tighter, glad that he was there to help her keep herself under control…as right now the main thing the red-head wanted to do was jump the extreme daredevil teen villainess and start pounding on her.

"Too bad," the villainess said with a matching smile, although her version carried a sinister and insane edge to it. "I'll just have to try harder next time we meet."

Sheila sighed. Although she had known about Kim and Adrena Lynn's brawl on the streets of New York City the previous May, neither she nor Andy had known that Motor Ed had hooked up with the extreme daredevil villainess. And to be honest, it had come as a complete surprise to everyone who had learned of it that evening, not just her and her soon-to-be husband. She was about to try to change the subject when the Princess's date did it for her.

"What I don't get," Ron said as he eyed Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn, "is _why_ you two hooked up. I mean, aside from the fact that you two have nothing in common, aren't the two of you like nearly thirty years apart from each other? Aren't you freaked out at all?"

Kim had to agree. "Yeah, I mean she's my age and you're Dra…I mean, Andy's age."

Motor Ed merely grinned. "Actually, I'm a lot younger than Cousin Drew. And Adrian's a few years older than you. Seriously. So we're seriously only about ten years apart. Seriously.

"Ed," Adrena Lynn growled, "what have I told you a dozen times? About using that name?"

"Sorry, Babe. Seriously."

She let loose with a smile that told everyone the matter wasn't finished, but still turned towards Team Possible. "And who says we have nothing in common? I happen to like the same music he does, and I think it's rather attractive that he refuses to listen to people who try to keep him down because of stupid things like a haircut or his taste in music or how he talks. Kind of like how people try to put me down for doing my extreme stunts and not listening to the authorities. It's actually kind of Fr-eakily _sexy_."

"And I seriously like how she like totally pushes the limits on stuff and is always looking for that next bigger rush. Kind of like me and my always looking for the next faster ride. Seriously."

At that point Adrena Lynn made a "cat-scratch" flirting motion at him, and both Kim and Ron had to look at each other to make sure they weren't the only one who was slightly disturbed. They glanced over at Hego and Clarice, both of whom looked like they were feeling just slightly out of place, although Clarice seemed inordinately calm for someone standing in a group with heroes, villains, and reformed villains. Deciding to get her mind off of the awk-weird factor of Ed and Lynn, Kim turned to Hego's girlfriend.

"So, Clarice, you seem relatively fine with this whole sitch. Just how long have you and Hego been going out?"

The woman smiled, and fluffed her blonde hair once as she spoke. "To be honest, we've been together now for almost six years. Just after Sheila left to go work for Andy, to be honest. Guess I'm just used to being around stuff that most would consider odd by now."

Sheila cocked her eyebrow. "But I remember the two of you going out before then."

The petite woman laughed a bit before answering. "Maybe, but those were more 'friend dates' than anything else. We didn't make it official till about two or three months after Hego learned where you'd ended up."

Kim was tempted to ask why Clarice kept referring to her boyfriend by his hero name, but then she remembered that Hego (despite his pride in his superhero persona and work) preferred to keep his civilian identity on a low profile when he could. The thought made her wonder just how much of a "normal life" Sheila and Andy were expecting to have, even as members of the good side. After all, according to what June and Xander had said it had taken some major intervention by herself and Ron for them to integrate into normal society in the original timeline. The more she thought about, the bigger her headache got to the point that she finally had to throw the topic out. However, it did bring another question to mind before it made its final departure.

"Just curious, Andy, but what are you planning to do with your free time after this weekend? I mean, it's pretty obvious that you're going to do something besides the 'mad scientist' thing, but how are you going to occupy yourself?"

The blue-skinned man shrugged. "Nnnngg…to be honest with you, Kimberly, I haven't been able to decide yet. I mean, I'm pretty good at reverse engineering things, but I also don't want to tempt myself to do something evil. I'm also a decent chemist, but the same rule applies there as well. Honestly, I don't know. Although I have been thinking maybe something with plants…but the evil factor is there, too…"

Ron smiled, and since he was standing next to their former arch-foe, placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Look, man, part of being on the good side means that you have to go in knowing that what you're doing could easily be used for evil and still make yourself do the right thing with it. I mean, you think me and Kim aren't tempted sometimes to take the easy way out on things?"

Sheila smiled but still rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, Ronster. You and the Princess have never knowingly done anything wrong in your lives. Well, except for all those lies she told around Halloween a few years ago. And those times either of you was unwillingly under the influence of the Attitudinator don't count. And I say 'unwillingly' in case you're about to say that me and Andy are only standing here peacefully because we used that machine on ourselves."

Kim smiled. "Just curious, Sheila, but did you ever leave Andy, or any other guy for that matter, locked in a closet just so you could dance with some guy you had a majorly ferocious crush on?"

The mint-skinned woman's mouth fell open as she looked from the red-head to the blonde young man standing with his arm around her waist. "_You_…did _that_…to _him_? Man, Kimmie, that's _cold_. Heck, and they used to say I was heartless."

Kim smiled. "You were. But my point is that even those of us you snarkily called 'do-gooders' are tempted sometimes to do things that could be considered ferociously evil, and we don't always say no. The difference is that most of the time we listen to our hearts and realize this so we don't do it…most of the time, anyway. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes the good guys slip up, but for the most part we try to do what we know is right. And that's really the only difference between us and the way you used to be."

Hego frowned. "Now Miss Possible, I think there are some more differences between those that do right and the villains of the world than just the fact that we choose to follow one set of morals or the other. After all, there are plenty of people out there who don't follow a good moral code and aren't classified as villains."

Sheila rolled her eyes again. "Oh relax, Hego. And actually, I think she might have hit it spot on. After all, if you wanted you could easily turn that strength of yours towards making yourself ruler of Go City. Not that you should, but even if you didn't take it that far you'd still give the GCPD a major headache. I mean, look at what you did when Electronique zapped _you_ with the Reverse Polarizer."

Hego shrank back a bit and bowed his head, apparently still very ashamed of what he'd done during the whole escapade.

"Point is," Kim remarked, "even if you feel you might be tempted to do something wrong, Andy, you have to learn how to keep that leaning in-check if you want to have a normal life. And the best way to do that is to put yourself in the situation and train your mind to make the right choice. Otherwise, you'll always be on guard against it and never be able to relax and enjoy yourself."

Andy seemed to be fighting between a smile and a frown. "But…nnnngg…what if it turns out I still like being the bad guy? I mean, we haven't really done much since the switch other than lay low…"

Kim sighed. "Look, Andy, I could sit here all night and try to make my point, but eventually I'd run out of words or you would tune me out. And at the end of the day, you're the one who has to make the decision—the one who has to learn to listen to your conscience and has to learn to take the consequences of your actions when you listen or don't listen to it, be they good or bad. That in a nutshell is what being a normal citizen is all about. And whether you want to face it or not, after tomorrow night, it's something you have to deal with."

Hego smiled. "And don't forget, you have us around to help you with it."

Andy seemed to lighten up at that moment, and Kim took odd notice of how his scar (which had previously looked like a cheesy way for him to convince others he was a villain), seemed to add to the brightness in his smile.

* * *

Across town in a smallish warehouse a group of people dressed in business suits sat around a long table in the back office. On either side of the head of the table sat an impressive yet shady-looking gentleman, one bald and one with a noticeable scar on his right cheek. At the head of the table in the most prominent chair sat a man with an aged chiseling to his face that gave the impression of someone who was usually two-steps ahead on the mental game of crime versus law. He puffed on an Italian cigar while swirling a glass of amber liquid.

"So, the Godfrey daughter is to marry tomorrow? Then we have precious little time, particularly considering that the lot of you have failed me many times prior to this evening. I warn you now, further failures will not be tolerated."

Garbrelini rubbed a hand over his scarred cheek. "We have a plan, Don Risatti, one that we are assured will work. We have even gained the cooperation of some of the GCPD who are still loyal to you."

Carmine Risatti's eyes narrowed. "But you have also informed me that Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are attending this celebration, as well as Team Go and numerous other heroes who ally with the Godfrey siblings. Do your plans allow for their interference as well?"

Cavalli nodded, his bald head catching the dim lighting. "Rest assured, Don Risatti, we have planned for all possible contingencies. Sheila Godfrey will be ours."

The Italian mob boss took a slow, leisurely drink before replying. "You had better hope so. Or you will find your positions in this family are not as solid as you would believe they are."

* * *

The rehearsal dinner split up around 9:00 PM, with Sheila intending to head back to Go Tower with her family while Andy was to head off to the hotel that his mother and cousin were staying at. However, shortly before either could depart, a guest no one had expected to show walked through the door of the restaurant.

"_What are you doing here, you piece of filth?_" Estelle Lipsky growled as she fixed him with a burning gaze of hatred. "_I told you that you weren't welcome here._"

The aging man merely grinned, and put an arm around Andy's shoulders, although both Kim and Ron could tell that the gesture made the former villain a bit uncomfortable.

"Sho I'm not allowed to attend the wedding of my own shun?" he replied, his slurring _very_ evident.

Sheila glanced at the man in wide-eyed shock. She'd sent out several invitations trying to get Andrew Percival Lipsky to attend their wedding, but had never received a single reply. Andy had objected at first, but had consented when she told him he'd regret it if he didn't at least make the offer. However, judging from his appearance, she wondered just how wise a move it had been to invite the man to attend. He was wearing a crisp suit, and looked like he had dressed to the nines for tonight, or at least had intended to. However, his eyes were blood-shot and his clothing disheveled, as if he'd been drinking heavily before coming to the restaurant.

Estelle Lipsky looked furious. "Let me guess: you're out of money _again_ and that's why you decided to make an appearance. Figured your son had enough money to get married so he for sure had enough to lend his _old man_ some?"

Mr. Lipsky smiled, and practically everyone in the room could smell the strong odor of liquor on his breath. "Well, it washn't the firsht thing on my mind, but if the boy wantsh to give me money, I won't shay no to the offer."

Andy closed his eyes, shook his head, and calmly lifted the arm off his shoulders. "Nnnngg…Look, Andrew, there's a reason the invitations you got were from Sheila and not from me…"

His father's smile quickly headed for the hills. "You lishten to me, boy. I'm your father, and you'll addresh me with reshpect."

Behind them, Kim and Ron overheard a restaurant employee calling for security. Apparently, Andy overheard it as well, and shook his head solemnly as he looked at the nervous waiter.

"That won't be necessary," he replied calmly before turning towards the man that had sired him. "I'll handle this."

The blue-skinned man frowned, and for a moment Kim and Ron thought he looked like his old villain self. The only thing that ruined the look was the slight sadness behind the eyes as he faced his father. When he spoke, it was a surprisingly explosive torrent, the culmination of many years of resentment and hatred directed towards the individual before him.

"What do you want me to say, _Dad_?" he spat, as if merely referring to his father in that way made him sick. "You left Mother before I was born, and barely showed yourself until you all but disappeared when I was five. _Five_. When other boys were learning how to ride bikes from their dads, I was having to teach myself because Mother had to pick up a second job to support us. While at age ten my friends were out in their backyards playing catch with a baseball or football or were out on the lake catching fish with their fathers, I was stuck fixing meals to help out Mother. Other dads were there when their son's went through their first heartbreak, or were there when their boys got their driver's licenses. But not _you_. You weren't even there to celebrate the day I graduated high school, or got accepted into the Middleton Institute of Science and Technology. So I had to rely on your brother, Uncle Jerry, and while he was great he also had to worry about Eddy, his own son, and couldn't always be there for me. Do you have any idea what I would have given to celebrate just _one_ Father's Day without any resentment towards you? How many birthdays my biggest wish was that you would somehow come to your senses and realize what you were doing to me and Mother?"

Everyone in the room was silent.

Andy continued, his icy fury tinged with a bit of sadness. "I'll have you know something. I'm not saying it would have made any difference, but if you'd been there for even a single Christmas, I might not have become one of the most feared people on the planet. Granted that would mean I might not have Sheila, so I guess I should thank you for that _one_ thing, but it would also mean that we wouldn't have to be worrying about cleaning up our reputations in addition to providing a suitable life for our children. And although I plan to be the best father possible to them, I could probably laze around the house all day and never once tell them I love them and _still_ come out a better Dad than you."

He turned away and headed over to where Sheila was standing, putting his arm around her and seeming to draw strength from the fact that she seemed to immediately support him.

"So I'm telling you now, Andrew. There are a lot of people who will be welcome tomorrow, even if they show up unannounced. But _you_ are definitely not one of them. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a father, and these children Sheila is carrying only have _one_ grandfather. So I'm asking you, if you have any respect for me as whatever you see me as, never show your face to us again. Because next time you will see why I used to be called evil."

The mood was tense for several minutes as the father and son faced off, one with a drunken rage in his eyes and the other with a summoned strength he'd never used in all his take-over-the-world schemes. And as she looked at her former enemy, Kim was struck by the notion that if he had, things might have gone a bit more in his favor in their confrontations.

"I think it's time for you to leave, dude," Motor Ed added, coming to stand next to his cousin. "Seriously."

One by one, the rest of the group came to stand supportively behind Andy and Sheila, Kim and Ron included, so that eventually it was a group of people standing against one who was as unwelcome as the strong smell of liquor on his breath. However, the tension slowly began to melt away as the elder Lipsky spat a large amount of saliva on the ground and walked out, the drunken rage on his face never dissipating. Kim was tempted to follow to make sure he didn't cause any more trouble, but one look at the look on the faces of Andy and Sheila told her that the best thing to do was to forget that Andrew Percival Lipsky even existed.

As they drove back to the Plaza, both Kim and Ron were silent, neither sure of what to say about what they'd learned about their former arch-foe that evening. It wasn't until they'd been lying cuddled together on the bed for at least an hour that Ron finally spoke and broke the uncomfortable tension.

"Do you think he was right, KP? About what he said about maybe not becoming a villain?"

Kim shook her head. "I don't know, Ron. I mean, I won't say it didn't help set him on the path, but I'm not convinced Andy didn't make some bad choices along the way to becoming Dr. Drakken, either. I mean, if having a bad father is all it takes, then Monique might already be on the path to becoming a super-villain. And you and I both know how ferociously unlikely that is."

Ron sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it does worry me a bit."

Kim smiled, seeing where this was going. "Ron, you are going to make an amazing dad when you and I finally get around to having children. After all, we already know you're going to be able to make one of our kids laugh."

The blonde young man let out a half-smile. "Yeah, Julie Anne did seem to like me a lot. Though I have been wondering where we got that name from. I mean, I know the most likely reason for her middle name is because of you and your mom, but I don't think we even know a 'Julie' at this point."

The young woman lying next to him gently tapped him on the nose. "Nuh uh—none of that. You know June specifically told us to try to live as if she and Xander had never shown up. Otherwise we risk changing things even more than they already have."

Ron smiled at the flirt, and Kim pressed herself against him as she followed it up with a kiss. However, she immediately noticed something off. Actually, it was something she'd noticed the moment they'd departed from G.V.U. that afternoon.

"Speaking of 'changing things', why did you leave Rufus with Felix this weekend?"

Ron grinned. "Actually, that was his call. Little dude isn't that big a fan of weddings he doesn't have to attend. It's actually the reason he didn't come with us to Reuben's wedding. Plus, he knew I was planning to make this at least a part of my Valentine's present to you."

Kim smiled as she cuddled up to him, but then a thought occurred to her—something she'd been meaning to speak to her fiancé about for some time now.

"Ron, I really do appreciate all this, I do. But it also worries me a little bit."

Her love's face had probably never looked more confused. "Worries you? What are you talking about?"

Kim took a deep breath. "Ron, there's something we need to talk about, something that quite frankly I don't know how to say without it sounding sort of bad."

"Okay," he replied, a trace of nervousness in his voice.

Kim turned so she was facing him more. "Ron, how much would you say you've spent on me since we graduated from high school?"

Ron frowned. "Umm…I wasn't exactly keeping count. I just keep finding things I think you might like, so I buy them for you."

The red-head smiled. _So that's why. Well, this should be easier than I thought._ "Ron, have you even looked at the price tag on some of the things you've given me since we started getting the Bueno Nacho royalties?"

The young man's face screwed into thought. "Well, I know the price of the earrings, but that was mainly because it took me a while to save for them. The other stuff…didn't really look. I just knew I had the money. Are you saying you wish I hadn't given you those things?"

Kim grinned a bit before returning to a serious look. "Ron, that's not what I'm saying. I just…I worry that you're going overboard a bit, that's all. I mean, this is almost like when you got your first royalty check and bought me that customized plane and the mercenary team. It just seems like you're doing it because you think you're going to lose me if you don't."

Ron smiled and kissed her before replying. "KP, that's not it. Okay, maybe it's some of it, but the main reason is because I want you to have the things you deserve. I mean, I've always wanted to give you everything you ever wanted if I could. It's the same reason I bought you that Club Banana jacket you wanted so much that you signed us both up to work for Bueno Nacho. And thing is, I have the money to get you the things you want now, and…well…I'd rather spend it on you than on me."

Kim snuggled into him a bit more. "Ronnie, that's sweet, but I want you to think about something. Do you remember what I told Grandma Carmichael when she asked if was only marrying you because you've got money?"

Ron grinned, knowing she had him trapped in a corner. "'We could be the poorest couple in the world, and I'd still marry him, because having him makes me feel richer than any money ever could.' Close quote."

The young woman smiled. "And that means I don't need expensive things to stay with you. Yes, I may be a label junkie, and yes I often times will buy a pair of pants at Club Banana that you've pointed out I can get for half the price at Smarty Mart, but really I don't do glitz and glamour that much. I mean, think about it: if I was really into that sort of thing, would I still tell people I'm just a normal, average person?"

Ron smiled. "No. I just…I think you're incredible, and that you deserve the best I can give you."

Kim kissed him softly. "Then do that by giving me the best _love_ you've got, Ron. If you do that, I could wear nothing but styles that went into the bargain section of Smarty Mart before we were born and still feel like I'm wearing something better and more cutting edge than that gown I wore for Sperlucci."

Ron smiled. "Okay, you win," he said, doing his best not to laugh. "Just…it is still okay if I still do that sometimes, right?"

The red-head grinned seductively. "Hey, I never said I wanted you to stop. Just make sure you're not doing it because you think I'm going anywhere anytime soon. Because as far as I'm concerned, it's gonna be you and me to the end."

Ron smiled at that, and kissed her gently…or at least, that was the intention. Before the young man knew it, his partner had him wrapped up in a steamy make-out session that had both their heads thinking more adult thoughts. If not for the knowledge that Sheila would probably employ her old temper if they even _looked_ tired the next day, it was quite possible they might have done a lot more than simply make-out and massage each other before falling asleep in one another's arms.

* * *

Andy sighed as he looked out over the expanse of Go City towards Go Tower. The building stood like a sentinel on the bay, as if keeping a protective watch over the city much like its residents did. The sight of that made him shake his head in awe, as if it were a solemn promise that nothing would go wrong the next day. He wanted to believe that, and yet something kept prickling in the back of his mind. He tried to tell himself that it was merely nerves, probably agitated further by the unexpected appearance of his father, but still he found himself unable to sleep soundly. And so he continued to look out from his hotel room, his only company the flower that grew out of his neck, willing himself to believe that his wedding to Sheila would be perfect…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

From the balcony leading out from her bedroom, Sheila gazed at the lights of her hometown lighting up the night sky. She knew that one of those buildings was where Andy was staying for the night so they wouldn't see each other before the wedding the following afternoon, but which one he was in she didn't know. Surprising even to her, she felt unnerved without him, this night being the first they had spent apart since the whole wine-induced evening that had led them to this point.

She smiled a bit. Had it really been nearly nine months since they'd officially gotten together? About a week before that, she'd gotten a faint glimmer of things to come when Andy's flower vine had tied them together at the U.N. during his acceptance of his award, but the next few days had been awkward at best, neither of them wanting to speak about what had happened. Then they'd received the mysterious summons to the Go City headquarters of Global Justice, and Sheila had been tempted not to go simply so she wouldn't run into her brothers. Yet for some reason both she and Andy had sensed that this was different, that they'd regret it if they didn't go.

And as it turned out, their instinct had been right. If they hadn't gone, they wouldn't have learned their "threat level" had been reduced to Level Two, and then Andy would probably never have been inclined to ask her out. It was just dinner and dancing at the Caribbean lair, but it still ranked high on Sheila's "Most Romantic Nights" list—even if it did end in a night of drunken sex that she at first regretted but now cherished.

Maybe that was why she was so willing to push away the splinter in the back of her mind warning her that there was something foul swirling in the air that evening…

* * *

The next morning dawned with perfect weather…if you called dark gray clouds and heavy thunderstorms perfect weather. Kim actually had to laugh when she saw it while she was in the bathroom changing into the dark jade green bridesmaid's dress she was wearing in the wedding.

"What's so funny, KP?" Ron asked from the bedroom as he changed into the black slacks and white shirt he was wearing. (The jacket and bowtie would be added once they arrived at the church.)

Kim smiled as she came out, her hair done up much like it had been the night of their senior year homecoming at Middleton. "The weather. Reminds me of the storm Dra…I mean, Andy tried to create over Canada using the water from the Great Lakes. Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

Ron grinned, and not all of it was from the joke. Kim smiled and giggled as he leered at her. She knew he thought her beautiful, but it was nice to be reminded so blatantly every once in a while.

As they climbed in the Sloth, they were immediately grateful that their hotel had a large overhang above the entrance that kept them dry.

"Think Sheila and her family will make it to the mainland easily?" Ron said slightly louder than normal over the rain and wind pelting the windshield in sheets.

"They should," Kim confirmed as she negotiated through the deluged streets. "After all, Go Tower is designed to allow the Go Team Jet to take off in all weather, and I suspect that's how they're getting to the church."

"Kind of a shame, though," her boyfriend remarked. "Was kind of hoping this day would be perfect for them."

Kim shrugged as she pulled the vehicle into the line of traffic pulling into the church, grateful that she saw valets underneath the building's entrance overhang. "Well, as long as the wedding its self goes well, I don't think Sheila will care much about the weather."

Kim had handed her keys to the valet and they had dashed inside with little rain getting to them before Ron had a chance to reply.

"Just Sheila? But what about what Andy feels?"

Kim shook her head and smiled. "Ron, one thing I don't think you get is how much say a woman has in her wedding. I'm not saying the groom gets no say, but for the majority of things what the bride says is what goes. That's part of where the term 'bridezilla' comes from—when a bride is absolutely unmoving about what she wants to happen to the point she's basically a raging monster about it."

"So basically all I'll have to do is show up when we go through this," Ron said with a smile. "Sounds good to me."

Kim grinned even though her eyebrow rose. "Oh no, buster, you're not getting out that easy. Our wedding will not be like the science projects we worked together on in high school. Your opinions will still be needed and wanted, and you _will_ be there to voice them when the time comes to do the planning."

However, all thoughts of their version of this event quickly disappeared when the two of them got a look at the crowd filing into the sanctuary of the church. Just from looking around, Kim and Ron couldn't remember ever attending a stranger gathering. All around the room sat a group of people consisting of heroes, villains, and "normal" people. Up at the front, Andy looked very nervous as she stood off to the side talking to the preacher who was overseeing the ceremony and the vows. And among it all, the Wegos were using their duplication powers to serve as at minimum eight ushers.

Kim and Ron quickly recognized her parents and her father's colleagues Professor Ramesh, Professor Chen, and their wives seated on Andy's side, as well as numerous "minor" villains that Drakken had been friends with who Andy was apparently still cordial with, including both Jack Hench and Hank Perkins. In addition, they saw two people who they had learned the previous evening were Motor Ed's parents, and looking at the pair it wasn't too far a stretch to figure out where the guy got his love of metal music and fast cars—even now Jerry Lipsky had a loud gray mullet and clothes only considered nice for a grunge rocker, while Tawny Lipsky could easily have passed for an Eighties Video Vixen based solely on her large hairstyle and tightly fitted dress. There were also several of what appeared to be the remaining fifty henchmen (Kim reminded herself that they were now just "employees"), all seated in a group and easily recognizable because they still wore their red hoods with their nice black suits. The two young people surmised that this final group was probably on that side to fill out the groom's side, which would have been considered relatively tiny without it. Behind that, multiple "normal" people eyed the people ahead of them warily.

Sheila's side however, probably had her future husband's side beat by a mile in the "stand out" department. There were of course the customary seats reserved for her parents and her brothers and their dates, as well as the space for the rest of the Godfrey family (most of the "immediate family" seats were currently being held by lines of Wegos). And of course, the "normal" people who Sheila either knew or was on speaking terms with, including both a woman Team Possible knew to be the newly elected Mayor of Go City and the old Mayor who had been in service from until recently all the way back to before Sheila had gone evil. However, behind that were no less than fifteen other superheroes, all in costume as if they expected this to be a fight instead of a joyous union of two people who loved each other. And each seemed more outlandishly attired than the one before them.

Kim was gaping at the spectacle, but Ron merely smiled at her shock. "Might as well get used to it, KP. I get the feeling the attendance at ours is gonna be even weirder."

Kim started to reply when she was caught by the notion that he was probably right. After all, they counted a talking naked mole rat, a fourteen-year-old tech genius, international secret agents, trained shinobi from a top-secret ninja school, a Hawaiian "family" consisting of at least three aliens from a distant galaxy, and a multi-colored superhero family among their many friends. In truth, the red-head realized that it would be _abnormal_ if the guest list to the Possible/Stoppable wedding consisted of only "normal" people.

"I guess you're right," she finally admitted with a kiss to his cheek. "Now go find your seat. I have to go meet up with Sheila, her mother, and Clarice in the bride's suite."

Ron nodded, and headed to where Kim's parents were sitting. Kim watched him go for a second, then turned and walked towards the back to the room Sheila was getting ready in. Despite her focus on the fact that this was Sheila's day, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the day it would be her and Ron who were the center of a matrimonial celebration. It was still a few years off, but already pictures of the day were beginning to swirl in the red-head's mind.

She was so distracted she didn't even get a good look when she accidentally bumped into a pair of gray-suited gentlemen on their way to grab seats. If she had, Kim might have taken more alarm at their presence, as one had a completely bald head and the other had a deep scar on his right cheek. As it was, she merely assumed they were invited guests and apologized before heading back towards the bridal suite at the back of the sanctuary. Inside, she found Sheila fretting over the fit of her sea-foam-green wedding dress.

"I swear, this thing fit perfectly last night," the mint-skinned woman growled, a light green glow coming to her eyes.

"Now, Firefly," her father said gently, "you're just nervous. And the dress fits you perfectly."

Sheridan nodded as she fluffed the edges. "Your father's right, honey. You look absolutely gorgeous."

"No, I don't," Sheila snapped half-heartedly. "I look like a whale trying to squeeze into a tube sock."

Kim smiled as she approached. "Sheila, all Andy is going to care about is the smile on your face."

The former villainess turned towards her. "He's here?" she sort of squeaked.

The red-head nodded. "And to be honest, he looks just as anxious as you do." At Sheila's worried look, she quickly added, "And I mean that as anxious-excited. He definitely wants to marry you, and I think he's just nervous because he's worried you're going to change your mind."

Sheila seemed to visibly relax. "Kim, I have to ask something. I know I gave the reason that without you Andy and me probably wouldn't be here, but why did you agree to be the Maid of Honor? I mean, before last summer, we spent a lot of time trying to hurt you. I mean, we even put you through complete hell when we threw Erik at you. With everything we've done, you could have just as easily thrown the offer in my face and I wouldn't have blamed you."

The young woman smiled. "Honestly, if Shego and Drakken had asked, I would definitely have said no. But they didn't—you and Andy did. And Sheila, if there is one couple I've seen who could give me and Ron a run for the money in how long it took us to realize what other people already knew it would be you and Andy. You said it yourself: you could have gotten a job with anyone else, and yet you kept coming back to work for him no matter how many times he failed. I know you said it was because I was the only one who could give you a challenge, but you can't tell me that there weren't times the money offered would have been a lot better with someone else."

Sheila dropped her chin to eye the red-head. "So why didn't you say anything? If you knew that, it would have been a pretty good way to throw me off when we were scrapping."

Kim grinned. "For the same reason my best friend Monique didn't say anything until the day after me and Ron stopped the Diablos. You wouldn't have believed me no matter how much proof I showed you. And believe me, I had a ferocious amount of proof, particularly after I started dating Ron and found out what a real love was."

The mint-skinned woman seemed to ponder that for a moment before she replied. "So tell me something, then: if I wasn't pregnant and about to have his children, do you think Andy would still be in love with me?"

Kim couldn't resist giggling, though she quickly cut it off. "Sheila, Warmonga saw the spark between the two of you and she barely knew you. And Warhok knew it less than a minute after meeting you. What do you think?"

For the first time since Kim had entered the room, she saw Sheila Godfrey smile—a bright, glowing look that few had ever seen her display. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at the group gathered there.

"Okay, I'm ready."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

The preacher smiled. "And now we come to the vows of marriage and the rings. Andy and Sheila have written their own words, which they will now recite to each other as they present the symbols of their union."

Andy smiled as he placed the simple gold band on her finger next to the engagement ring. "Sheila, I still remember the day we first met. You applied to be the head of my organization, and told me that if I hired you I'd never regret it. And I never did. No matter how many times we tried to take over the world and failed, no matter how many times we looked foolish, you stuck with me. Now you've agreed to spend your life with me, and I promise to never make you regret that choice. You are the woman of my dreams, and the one I can't live without. And though I may no longer want to take over the world, I promise I will still try everyday to give you _my_ whole world."

Sheila took a deep breath, trying and failing to stop the tear that escaped as she placed the matching ring on his finger. "Andy, I tried for a long time to deny what I felt for you. But no matter how hard I tried to keep you out of my heart, you still managed to find a way inside. I can't pin down when it happened, but somehow you got me open up to you in a way I never opened up to any other person. When I met you, I wasn't entirely sure you had what it took to take over the world, but you offered me a challenge I couldn't ignore. And only now do I realize that when we were trying to conquer the world, what you were really doing was conquering the walls I had built up. You found a way to open up a heart I'd shut off to the world, and now I feel more like we succeeded in taking over the world than anything else. And that's because now my world is you and our future together. And for the rest of my days, I promise to help you face it."

The preacher smiled. "Then by the power granted me by God above, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As if that was what he had been waiting for, Andy slowly raised her veil and pulled Sheila into a scorching kiss, even dipping her a little bit—though not too far as he knew what her advanced pregnancy had been doing to her back. Sheila couldn't resist, and let herself be swept off her feet a little bit, closing her eyes as she drank in the passionate kiss. Those gathered immediately broke into applause.

The preacher held up his arms in a showing gesture. "And now I proudly present to you: Andy and Sheila Lipsky!"

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim smiled for what felt like the hundredth wedding picture as the photographer positioned her, Sheila, and Clarice once more. Looking at Sheila, she could tell the strain of being on her feet was starting to take a toll on the mint-skinned woman. She shot Andy a meaningful look, and he apparently got the message as he nodded.

"Excuse me, I think my new wife would like to rest for a bit," he said as he approached the photographer. "Could we wrap this up quickly?"

Sheila smiled as she cringed a little. "It's not the feet, Andy. It's what our kids are pressing on."

"What are you talking about? Seriously," Motor Ed cut in, apparently clueless.

Kim shook her head. "She's saying she needs a restroom break," she stated matter-of-factly.

Sheila grimaced. "Unfortunately this dress necessitates a little help."

The red-head grinned. "I'll do it."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Cavalli scowled as he watched Kim and Sheila pass the door he was waiting next to. "We'll never get Sheila Godfrey if that meddlesome teenage hero doesn't leave her alone. And Don Risatti specifically said not to leave without her."

"Patience," Garbrelini replied coolly, slowly running a hand over his scarred cheek. "We have managed to infiltrate the wedding easily enough. We will have our chance."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Sheila dropped gratefully into her chair, her feet feeling slightly sore. The reception was going well, and she had even managed to have her first dance with Andy and participate in a few other dances, including the one she'd thought she'd never get to experience prior to December—the father/daughter dance. However, there was one thing spoiling the festivities. The longer the reception went, the more she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't know some of the guests. It was only a handful of people, but each time she made eye contact with them it sent a chill down her spine.

Looking out at the dance floor, she smiled as she noticed the Princess and her boyfriend slow-dancing. Somehow, having those two here made it seem right. And the knowledge that the two young people were in attendance seemed to assure her that her worries were simple nerves and nothing more. So she willed her bad thoughts away and focused on the numerous people still coming forth to congratulate her. Earlier, Andy had been by her side to receive the well-wishes, but he was currently talking with some of the guests—though she did catch him smiling at her more than once.

At that moment, she felt another insistent push on her bladder. She started to look around for help, but quickly decided that she needed to buck up and do this one on her own. Smiling, she excused herself and headed towards the ladies room. Unfortunately, all the stalls in the main restroom were taken, and the kids were started to play kickball with her bladder. Sighing, she headed out into the halls of the church, heading for another bathroom that she knew the location of. She breathed a sigh of relief that the stalls in this one were empty. As she washed her hands once she'd finished, she couldn't help but smile at the ring encircling her finger.

_Sheila Lipsky_, she thought with a smile. _I'm Sheila Marie Godfrey-Lipsky._

However, she was quickly brought out of her happy thoughts when she opened the door and found herself face to face with three silenced pistols. Normally, she would have fired up and destroyed all three in a single swipe. But with the threat of the twins powering up too, that wasn't an option. It also didn't help that only one of the pistols was pointed at her face—the other two were pointed directly where her unborn children were. Staring at the people holding the guns, she felt an emotion she hadn't felt in a very long time: genuine fear.

One of the gunmen, a man with a deep scar on his right cheek, smiled menacingly. "Mrs. Lipsky, Don Risatti would like a word with you."

* * *

Heathcliff frowned when he didn't see Sheila come back in the main reception room. Looking about, he tried to find his daughter, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. However, he did see one person that sent a feeling of cold dread washing over him. Quickly, he pushed his way towards the man, who seemed to be heading for the exit at a rather expedient pace. He caught up to the man just outside the door, grabbing him by the collar and pinning him to the support of the main entrance overhang roughly and high enough that his feet dangled. As he did so, a handgun clattered to the ground.

"Nicoló," he growled, his voice a deadly whisper. "_What in the hell are you doing here_?"

The Italian mobster smiled. "Taking what your wife owes us, Heathcliff. And if you value your daughter's life or the lives of your grandchildren, you will not interfere. Nor will you involve the police or Global Justice."

At that moment, Kim and Ron came out, worried looks on their faces. "Mr. Godfrey, there you are," the young woman exclaimed. "We can't find Sheila. Have you seen her…"

Her voice trailed off as she got a good look at the scene, specifically at the gun on the ground and at the man Sheila's father had pinned harshly up against a pillar.

"_Nicoló_," she snarled. "What have the Risattis done with Sheila?"

"We have her," the man replied, his voice full of menace. "And that means we finally have that which was promised to us."

* * *

_a/n_

_Sorry this installment took so long to come out, but the plot bunnies have been swarming lately and causing all my ideas to blend together. Not to mention I had to deal with a bout of something that had me stuck in bed for a good three days. But now it's out, and ready for enjoyment._

_Also, I want to apologize to those who submitted suggestions for the Andy (Dr. Drakken) and Sheila's (Shego) "First Dance" song, but I ran out of words and couldn't cover that without making this thing a lot longer than it is. Actually tried to, but it kept going into the 13k territory, something I promised myself long ago would never happen with any chapter. So that scene got dropped in favor of what you just read._

_- So, the Risattis have Sheila, and now have access to the serum created by Dr. Godfrey. But what will they do with it if they get it? Furthermore, what about the fact that Sheila could give birth to the twins any day now? And how is Team Possible going to handle the sitch?_

_These questions and more will be answered in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. :)_

_

* * *

_

_***Special Note: I wish to pass on the sad news that a great member of the Kimmunity both here on this site and elsewhere, **Screaming Phoenix**, sadly passed from this world on the eve of February 2, 2011. Rob was a great friend to all, and he will be sorely missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this heart-breaking time. I would also encourage everyone to drop by his author page here and read some of his contributions to Kim and Ron's world. They are indeed great stories by a true fan of Team Possible._

_RIP, my friend.  
_


	36. Chapter 36

A/N

Chapter 36 is up and running!

- Kim and the gang react to Sheila's abduction, and one character seems to have some issues to deal with.

- Sheila comes face to face with Carmine, and the meeting is anything but social.

- Plans are made for Sheila's rescue, but tensions are riding high among uneasy "allies"...

- A confrontation gives Sheila a useful piece of information.

- The search begins...and ends...with surprising results.

- Finally, it's time for a showdown between the good guys and the Risattis, but time may be quickly running out!

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

***SPECIAL NOTE: Once again, I've inserted a bit of Italian into the speech and dialogue used by the Risattis. So if something is italicized and doesn't seem like a thought, it's probably another language. :)

* * *

At that moment, Kim and Ron came out, worried looks on their faces. "Mr. Godfrey, there you are," the young woman exclaimed. "We can't find Sheila. Have you seen her…"

Her voice trailed off as she got a good look at the scene, specifically at the gun on the ground and at the man Sheila's father had pinned harshly up against a pillar.

"_Nicoló_," she snarled. "What have the Risattis done with Sheila?"

"We have her," the man replied, his voice full of menace. "And that means we finally have that which was promised to us."

"No," replied Heathcliff coldly, "your boss has her. All you have is a one-way trip to a coma followed by an extended stay in a prison."

Before Kim and Ron could stop him, the burly man had smashed his fist into Nicoló's face. As the Italian mobster crumpled to the ground, Heathcliff spat on him before turning to find Kim fixing him with a tweaked glance.

"You realize you just knocked out our only lead on where they might have taken Sheila, right?" she said with a frown. "Which means there's probably no chance now of catching up to her before they do something."

Heathcliff sent her an equally hard glance. "Look, Miss Possible, I know my children think highly of you, especially Sheila since you helped her revert back to good, but if you think I'm going to trust my daughter's safety to a pair of kids you are sadly mistaken. The two of you don't have the slightest idea what the Risattis are capable of. What the two of you saw in Venice is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how far Carmine will go to get what he wants."

At that moment, Hego walked out to where they were standing. "Actually, Dad, they have a lot better grasp on the criminal element than you might think. These two have faced things that quite frankly I'm glad I've never had to go up against. Granted, Team Go has gone through more than its fair share of dangerous situations, but we all have powers that set us above normal people. Kim and Ron go up against the same and worse with nothing more than the fighting skills and intelligence they've managed to pick up over the years and a whole lot of luck. And if the Risattis have Sheila, which judging from this gentleman on the ground they do, Team Possible is your best bet at getting her back safely and quickly."

"Regardless," his father growled, "I will not put Sheila's life in danger. I'm calling the GCPD."

Ron scratched his head. "But didn't Nicoló just get through telling us that if you involve either of them it'll put Sheila's life in danger? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure the police and GJ would do their best, but based on this I'd be willing to guarantee there's most likely spies for the Risattis in those two groups."

Kim nodded. "He's right, Mr. Godfrey. We've dealt with Global Justice infiltrations before, and since they're a higher security group than the police it's not that far a stretch to assume the GCPD have been infiltrated as well."

Heathcliff frowned. "I never said I was calling Global Justice. I still don't trust them."

Hego nodded. "Well, before we do anything I think we need to inform Andy, Momma, and the others about the situation. Then we can start figuring out what happened and what we need to do to rescue Sheila."

* * *

The room was so dim that Sheila had to give her eyes several minutes to adjust. The car that had brought her here had blackened windows and a divider so she couldn't see out the windshield, but she'd managed to keep track of the turns at least. Also, because she'd counted at least three different occurrences of two consecutive left turns or two consecutive right turns she knew they'd been trying to throw her off on the distance, meaning she was probably a lot closer to the church than she'd been able to keep track of. Not that that knowledge did her any good since she didn't have a way to contact anyone who could help her out of her current situation.

Also, whoever had organized this kidnap had evidently at least partially done their homework. First thing after she'd been shoved into the car, a pair of irremovable metal bracelets had been clamped around her wrists. Not that she would with the danger of the twins copying her and possibly putting a hole through her stomach, but the devices seemed similar to the ones Global Justice had often fitted her with—manacles designed to prevent her from lighting up her glow power. Even now they hummed with a tinny whine, as if waiting for her to try to unleash the green blaster bolts she was known for. Based on their design, Sheila guessed that if she did try to fire one off, the bracelets would absorb the energy and reward her with some sort of unpleasant reverb shock.

_Definitely not the thing I need when I could go into labor any day now,_ she thought wryly. _Might kick-start the process._

Looking around the room, she saw a cot (which didn't look like it would be at all comfortable to anyone), a bare-bones wooden chair (even less inviting), a small window with very little light, and a camera in the upper corner. She'd bet anything that that camera could see every part of the room, so she quickly threw out ideas of looping it while she planned her escape. Not that Sheila was in any condition to try anything high-risk, but the knowledge that she could have messed with the surveillance if she tried would have been nice. She also noticed a small dresser, upon which had been laid a change of clothes that would have fit her if she weren't currently pregnant. Whoever had set this whole thing up had definitely not given thought to her pregnancy—or maybe they'd set it up so hastily they hadn't cared.

At that moment she heard the door being unlocked, and two men entered. A dark hood was quickly placed over her head and she was roughly guided through at least two doorways not counting the one to her "cell" and up a flight of metal grated stairs. Finally they stopped, and she was forced into a very uncomfortable chair with arms to which her own were soon securely fastened via links on the manacles she wore. Only then was the hood removed, and she found herself face to face with a man in an impressive gray pinstripe suit with a red flower in his buttonhole and a smart-looking tie. He calmly twirled a glass of amber liquid.

"Sheila Godfrey, how nice to see you again," he said in a smooth yet menacing voice.

"Not that I suspect it matters much to you, pal, but I'm Sheila Lipsky now."

"A rose by any other name, _mi Bella Signorina_," the gentleman replied. "What has it been, fourteen years? I must say you look much more grown-up now. And I see you're about to start a family of your own. _Eccellente_! I offer my congratulations!"

"Like I need your well-wishes. Now who are you people, and where the hell am I? More importantly, what the hell do you want with me?" she asked with a snarky fire, even though she knew who it was she was likely facing at the moment.

"Ah of course: my manners have escaped me. I am Don Carmine Risatti, and what _I_ want is the secret you hold within you."

Sheila put on as brave a face as she could. "Haven't got a clue what you're talking about, Jack," she replied as nonchalantly as possible.

However, Carmine seemed to see right through her. "Ah, but you _do_ know what I mean, _Signorina_. Yet even so, I will tell you. What I seek is the secret to making myself and my underlings invulnerable to harm. And your mother, Dr. Sheridan Godfrey, found the key to accomplishing that feat. However, she changed the formula before she handed it over to me, causing quite a bit of trouble. And since I used what she had synthesized on you and your brothers, I thought it possibly lost unless I could manage to force her to tell me. But fate smiled in my favor, for when my scientists studied the notes she gave us they discovered something I don't think she intended. If you use the serum your mother developed on a man, it changes and molds itself to his DNA. But if you use it on a woman, the serum duplicates itself, and that duplicate is what transforms. But still the original stays within the treated female's system—perhaps it is done as a survival mechanism so that it may be passed down to her children. Regardless, as the only Godfrey daughter, you alone hold within you the last current copy of the original serum your mother created. And one way or another you will give me that key to invulnerability."

Sheila leaned forward as best she could, though it was difficult while tied to the chair and with her very pregnant belly. "And just _what_ makes you think I'm going to cooperate with you on any part of that?" she replied, throwing as much snarkiness as possible behind her voice.

"Because, _Signorina_, if I can't get it out of you I will simply keep you here until such time as I may extract it from your children," the mob boss replied with a smile that sent a very unwelcome chill down Sheila's spine.

* * *

The atmosphere in Go Tower that afternoon was high-strung to say the least. It was barely 3:00PM, but you wouldn't know it from the commotion emanating from the main central room of Team Go's headquarters. Team Possible, Andy Lipsky, Team Go, Heathcliff Godfrey, and Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn were all gathered around the conference table in the main computer room, and all seemed to have their notions on how to rescue Sheila. Hego had been hesitant to let the last two in to the building, but had consented when Kim and Ron pointed out that they would likely need all the help they could get to free his sister from the Risattis' clutches. As it was, everyone was throwing out ideas at once so that no one was actually being listened to.

"I still say we should call the GCPD," interjected Heathcliff, pounding his large fist on the table.

"If you do that, Sheila's chances of coming out of this relatively unharmed will drop faster than you can blink," countered Kim firmly. "Believe me, I would like to call the authorities in on this as well, but based on what Nicoló said I'd be willing to bet that there are dirty cops and agents in every department who are working for the Risattis."

Ron nodded his agreement. "Kim's right. If you call them, Carmine will immediately know, and he'll most likely move Sheila to a different location. Our best move if we want to finish this quickly is to handle this on our own."

There was large cacophony of response to that, with everyone once again trying to speak at once. Meanwhile, over in the next room, Estelle Lipsky was trying to console Sheridan Godfrey.

"There's no way we could have known they'd take her from the wedding," she offered. "It caught us all off-guard."

Sheridan had her face buried in her hands and was on the verge of a complete breakdown. "But do you see now why I convinced Heathcliff we needed to leave the country? As long as we weren't here in Go City, Carmine thought I was the only one who had the key to the serum and had no reason to come after Sheila. Now I've put not only her but my grandchildren at risk."

At that moment there was another loud bang accompanied by another rise in her husband's voice.

Sheridan raised her head and gestured pointedly in the direction of the conference room. "And Heathcliff gets way too involved when someone tries to hurt our children, especially Sheila. The whole reason Garbrelini has that scar on his face is because he used a threat against our daughter to lure us out of the first safe house we were using in New York. That's why we left and headed to Venice, and why we stopped meeting up with Hector. Even though we wanted to keep tabs on our children, I knew we were putting them at greater risk by letting them know we were alive. And now, he's got…got…"

Her voice broke, and although she didn't break into sobs her head still returned to her hands.

Kim chose that moment to break from the group in an attempt to keep from telling Heathcliff off completely. She knew she was right about how they should handle things (heck, even Hego, Andy, _and_ Motor Ed supported her view on the sitch), and yet Sheila's father was being so obstinate he wouldn't even listen to any other options other than contacting his former co-workers over at the Go City precinct. As she walked into the adjoining room in an attempt to escape the madness and shouting, she found Mrs. Lipsky and Mrs. Godfrey sitting there, and realized immediately what kind of toll the sitch was taking on Sheila's mother. Quickly she walked over and sat down next to the woman.

"Mrs. Godfrey, don't worry. We will get Sheila back, I promise you that. And we'll do it _before_ your grandkids are born."

Sheridan lifted her head a bit. "Kim, how are you so calm about this? I mean, you're barely out of high school, and you're handling this whole thing like someone who's been doing this for twenty years."

Kim smiled supportively. "Probably the same way Sheila was able to start fighting villains and whack-jobs at fourteen. And even if I didn't know it from the numerous times she and I went at it while she was a villain, knowing that right there in its self would tell me she's probably a lot tougher than any of us give her credit for. Plus she's ferociously smart about her available options, and she's well aware of what she can and can't do at any moment—she's not going to be taking any risk she doesn't think is necessary. And I can guarantee that that definitely goes double when you add the twins into the equation."

A few seconds later Adrena Lynn came strutting in. "Man, that guy is even more Fr-eakily stubborn than you, Kim Possible. Won't even listen to the advice from his own sons. Kind of like you not accepting your boy toy's help when you need it."

Kim stood up and faced the villainess with stone-hard eyes. "Look, Adrena Lynn, let's get one thing straight right now. I'm not comfortable with you being here, but for Sheila's sake I'm putting that aside because I realize we probably need as many people as we can get helping with this. But call Ron a 'boy toy' one more time, and I swear I will unleash all sixteen forms of my kung fu on you without a moment's hesitation."

The warning did not have the intended effect. "Oooooh, so you want to get FR-EAKY, do you, Kim Possible? Wonder what your _boy toy_ would think of the two of us going at it right here and now?"

Kim was about to reply when she at last caught on to the fact that the villainess was baiting her, trying to rile her up into doing something stupid. Evidently fighting wasn't the only area Adrena Lynn had improved her skills in, as she now seemed much more adept at head games. Somehow the extreme teen had learned of Kim's fiery temper, and now she seemed intent on bringing it out. Unfortunately if that happened, it was all too likely that Lady Kigo would get at least some sort of foothold…a concept that Adrena Lynn apparently had little to no knowledge of. Or maybe she did, and just wanted to see for herself what the teen heroine's alter ego was like. After all, this new Adrena Lynn seemed to live for the adrenaline rush now, and the red-head reasoned that the villainess might see fighting a darker version of her as something of a rush.

Kim took a deep breath, and phrased her reply to the barb carefully. "Once Sheila is out of the Risatti's clutches and safe from them, sure, I'll take you on. But until that happens you're gonna have to accept that you're gonna have to wait for your 'rush'."

That seemed to shut the teen daredevil up, and Kim refocused on Sheridan with the compassion she had been speaking with before Adrena Lynn walked in. "Look Mrs. Godfrey, I know it's tough, but I need you to try and think back to when you were willing to work for Carmine Risatti. Do you remember anywhere around here where he and his henchmen liked to keep prisoners?"

Sheridan shook her head sadly. "The only place I was ever taken to was a warehouse with a science lab where I could do my research on my serum. But every time I went there they made sure I was in a vehicle where I couldn't see where I was being taken. But I do remember a few details, though I'm pretty sure they would mean nothing fourteen years after the fact, especially since a lot of Go City has expanded or gotten more advanced. Or deteriorated in some cases."

Kim smiled. "I don't know if you know this, but Team Possible has a tech guy who could probably use information from fifty years ago to pinpoint a modern location to within a few blocks. So anything you know might be of some use towards helping get your daughter back home safely."

Sheridan sighed. "Alright. I do remember a bit of a sulfurous odor, mainly because it made me sick more than once. I also think there might have been a salty quality to the air, like when you know a dish you're about to eat has too much salt in it."

The red-head nodded and held up her wrist with her Kimmunicator, activating it. "Did you get that, Wade?"

The young man's voice came over the speaker. "Got it, Kim. Showing three areas they could have likely been at."

Adrena Lynn smiled a little too eagerly. "So three locations means three teams."

Kim sighed as she threw a sideways glance at the blonde. "I suppose so," she replied with a tone that conveyed just how uncomfortable and resentful she was about having to rely on a villain for help.

"Three teams for what?" Heathcliff remarked disapprovingly as he entered the room.

"For finding your daughter, Mr. Godfrey," Kim replied with a direct stare at him. "And whether you like it or not, I think it'd be best if you stayed here and helped coordinate all of us."

"If you think I'm going to sit here while you go out there and put my daughter at further risk…"

"Then that's what you'll do," Sheridan replied, cutting her husband off. "Honey, I know she's young but I think she knows what she's doing. After all, she got the two of us out of Italy without too much trouble. I say we should trust her."

A few minutes later, they were all back in the main control room while Kim went over the plan as Hego worked the Team Go main computer to display visual aids in the forms of maps and pictures of buildings.

"Alright now, according to what Mrs. Godfrey told us just now and what Wade deduced from the information, there are three possible locations that we know of where the Risattis could be holding Sheila. The first is at the Go City wharf, where the water of the bay would account for the salty air and the trash barges that regularly pass by would account for the sulfurous odor. That'll be where Team Go checks out, because you know the area best and it has the most places to check."

The Godfrey brothers all nodded.

"Next, we have the old steel mill in the factory district. The smell of the refining process would account for both the salt and the sulfur. Ron and I will handle that area as it seems the most open and will require the stealth skills we have."

Then she turned to Ed and Adrena Lynn.

"You two will take the warehouse district by default. According to Wade, it's also a good place for the Risattis to be simply because it has a lot of options for where the smell and the air quality could originate from."

Finally she turned to Andy, his mother, and the Godfrey parents. "You four need to be here to coordinate everything. I'm saying this because you have the most organizational skills, and also it puts both Andy and Mr. Godfrey, who I'm sure both want to get in on this, the closest to all three locations. I can't stress enough that based on what Ron and I saw in Italy we need to find them first and then make sure our strike on the location is simultaneous. Otherwise we run the risk of Carmine and his henchmen moving Sheila to another location before we can get her out." She shot a meaningful glance at both Hego and his father. "I'm serious here—no 'lone ranger' acts. Got it?"

Andy smiled and leaned over towards Ron while everyone else merely nodded. "No wonder you two always beat us if she gets like this. She's got the whole thing figured out."

Ron merely grinned. "Trust me: this is only the tip of the iceberg. You should see what she's like when she's with the cheer squad. Not to mention this is what she's like after me showing her how to marinate every once in a while."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Hego frowned as he and his brothers checked the wharf area. No signs of anything, not even the slightest trace of any human activity whatsoever—the location seemed practically deserted.

"Anything, Mego?" he said into a comm. system he had attached to his wrist.

"Nothing, for the hundredth time," the purple-skinned Godfrey brother said with annoyance. "And it's not like _I'm_ not trying. _I_ have actually been shrinking down and entering buildings the whole time, but so far I haven't found any trace of them. I've even gotten some stains on _my_ uniform from the stuff _I've_ been doing to try and locate her."

"Cut the self-absorption, Mego," one of the Wegos called out over the device. "For once, think of someone other than yourself."

"Marina clear," called the other Wego. "And no signs of any craft having left today either. Checked with the dock managers and they said all the boats that were here last night are still here."

Hego's brow deepened into a furrow as he contacted Go Tower. "Team Go here. Still no sign in Sector One."

"Keep looking, son," his father replied.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim slinked along the side of the building, her mission senses on full alert as she scanned the nearby structures for any sign of Risatti activity.

"Anything on your end, KP?" Ron whispered over their Kimmunicators.

"No," she replied. "Just your normal factory workers going about their business. But if this is the area Sheridan was talking about, I'm not surprised it made her sick. It's going to take me a month to get this sour smell out of my clothes. Tempted to chuck them when we get done here."

She could hear Ron's grin as he spoke. "Might be a bit distracting to the bad guys. I know it will be to me."

Kim shook her head in amusement as she realized the path his mind had briefly taken. "Head in the game, Ron," she admonished gently.

Then she frowned as she contacted Go Tower. "Team Possible reporting in – Factory District clear on East Side. Moving to search the Factory District West Side." _Where are you, Sheila?_

* * *

After the meeting with Carmine, Sheila had found herself led into what appeared to be some sort of laboratory set-up. Well, maybe not immediately—first the hood was replaced on her head (she figured they were trying to keep her from getting a good mental layout of the place they were keeping her) before they led her through a large open space past a few large objects of some sort. Then she heard a large door opened and closed behind them after they entered. She was then strapped into a chair facing away from the large door, and the hood removed to reveal a crude cross between a laboratory and a medical exam room.

The whole time, she concentrated on keeping her breathing steady and at a normal pace. She'd read in one of the baby books that she'd been studying for close to seven months now that if she let herself get too excited it might kick-start her labor, and she was bound and determined to keep from bringing her boys into the world while she was in Carmine Risatti's clutches. Glancing around the room, she noticed several medical tools and monitors, as well as numerous hypodermic needles of varying sizes—it was just like the medical rooms she disliked so much, but at least this one was dingy enough to evidently quell her slight discomfort with hospitals. The last thing she needed was to have that shadow of a phobia pop up, as it would probably send her into labor no matter how hard she tried to hold it off.

"_Non sappiamo quanto tempo prima che lei è di fornire_?" a man dressed in a rough interpretation of a doctor's outfit said as he pulled on some medical examiner's gloves.

"_Solo che lei è quasi alle nove mesi. Nessun periodo di tempo esatto,_" one of the men who had brought her in replied.

_Great, Italian_, Sheila thought with a disgusted sigh. _The best I can do with that is ask for spa treatments or pampering_.

She was starting to contemplate testing the straps when one of the thugs braced her arm. She was about to start struggling against it when she felt a prick on her arm, and her eyes grew wide as she watched her blood being drawn into a large hypodermic needle.

"Graargh!" she yelled in defiance, her fist quickly gaining a glow.

However, her efforts were rewarded shortly thereafter with a shock emanating from that bracelet and a very heavy hand across her face. Instead of accepting that action and complying, her head snapped back to glare at the one who had slapped her.

"I hope you have a plot picked out at the cemetery, Chuck!" she shouted furiously, "Because if I get a chance I'm gonna fry and bury you!"

The thug smirked in a way that was very reminiscent of the way Sheila herself used to show her villainous mirth, and to add insult to injury he spat at her face. The effort had more spray than substance to it, but it was enough for the mint-skinned woman to etch his face in her memory—reformed or not, she promised herself if she got the chance she was going make good on her threat.

In short order, however, she was un-strapped, re-hooded, and dragged roughly back to her cell. At the door, her hood was removed as they shoved her inside. It took everything she had to keep from toppling forward but she managed, turning around and glaring daggers as the door slid shut. Snarling to herself, she lowered herself on to the cot.

The little ruckus had shown her something she hadn't expected about the bracelets—unlike the Global Justice versions, the effect of this model wasn't immediate. To quickly test her theory, she fired up a light glow and quickly put it out. And…nothing. Sheila smiled—finally, a small light of hope. She tried a few more times, extending her length of light-up a half-second each time, and it wasn't until she'd been powered a full one-and-a-half seconds before the shock was triggered. Not enough time for a power-up and blast, but it would still be possible for a quick laser shot…maybe enough of them and she could possibly short out or disable the bracelet somehow.

_Looks like Andy wasn't the only villain who goes the cheap route when possible_, she thought with a smirk, then glanced down at her stomach for a sec as she fired off a small laser bolt from her index finger just to make sure. _And even better that the twins aren't copying me._

_

* * *

_

Heathcliff pounded on the console in frustration as he glanced at the locators on the map displayed on the large computer screen. Why was he being forced to trust his daughter's safety to a plan cooked up by some college freshman? Even if she was a world-famous hero, this was still the type of job he felt the police should be handling. After all, the GCPD was well-trained in hostage negotiation and rescue, and that was exactly the situation they were facing with the Risattis having nabbed Sheila.

It was the same as when he'd been working as the liaison between the police and Global Justice. Relay the information, and then it became all about sending in "highly-qualified" agents to take care of problems the Go City Police could have wrapped up just as quickly. That was one of the reasons Heathcliff Godfrey didn't trust the world spy organization any more. The other reasons…well, let's just say he didn't like how far the ones who ran things seemed willing to go to get results.

He must have been showing his discomfort and dislike with the situation, because Andy spoke up.

"You know, Team Possible isn't Global Justice, Heathcliff. Kim Possible has a code she sticks to, and when she promises she'll do something she does it."

"They're still just a pair of hot-tempered kids," Heathcliff remarked coldly. "And one of the best ways to lose to Carmine Risatti is to rush into a situation. To be honest, I'm still surprised she and that young man got me and Sheridan out of Italy as smoothly as they did."

Andy half-grinned. "Nnnngg…maybe, but those 'hot-tempered kids' are also the same ones who foiled every single one of the elaborate schemes me and your daughter threw at them, and often in record time I might add. They're smart about this, and they know how to work together, how to support each other. I've never told them this, and I'm not sure if I ever will, but part of my reasoning behind throwing Synthodrone #901 into the 'Lil' Diablo' scheme was to get the two of them out of sync with each other. I knew that if I could get Kimberly Anne to focus on a boy, that would throw their friendship into chaos, and it's at times like that when the two of them are at their most vulnerable. I mean, the times I came closest to beating them is when one of them had their head elsewhere, like when she was crushing on that boy and I had her all the way down to a head."

Heathcliff still looked skeptical. "So you're saying that right now they're almost unbeatable?"

Andy was about to reply when Motor Ed's voice came over the Team Go Computer's intercom system. "Yo, Cousin Drew. Team Rush reporting in here. Seriously."

"Team Rush?" Andy replied quizzically.

"Hey, if Red and Skinny Dude get a name, and so do the Rainbow Brothers, we got to have a kicking name too. Seriously."

"But…nnnngg…are you sure 'Team Rush' is the way to go?"

"Hey, my chick's idea, dude. Seriously."

Andy groaned. "Okay. What have you got?"

"Serious possibility of some rocking green magic in the warehouse area. Seriously."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Adrena Lynn smiled maniacally as she kept an eye on the dark black cars parked outside of the old Smythe-Wilson & Co. warehouse while her boyfriend contacted his cousin—and specifically on the small window near the ground level where there were random green flashes going off approximately every ten minutes. If there was one thing she was certain about when it came to Kim Possible, it was that her nemesis loved to be the one who came through when others couldn't. Just imagining the look on the young woman's face sent the extreme teen's lips into a confident, smiling sneer.

"Are you positive about that?" Heathcliff's voice boomed over the radio.

"Seriously positive," the mullet-haired villain replied. "Otherwise we got a major foul here with a pair of high-quality black sedans and a rocking limo just sitting out here. Seriously. And Red and Skinny Dude said that those are the type of vehicles we'd be most likely to find. Seriously. Not to mention we got something that looks like a green camera flash going off. Seriously."

"Okay, hold your positions while we contact the others," Andy replied.

Adrena Lynn smirked. _So what are you gonna do when you find out we're the ones who beat you to the prize, Kim Possible?_

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"_What?_" Kim replied when Wade relayed the message. "Wade, I thought you said _this_ was the most likely place to find the Risattis."

"Kim, based on fourteen years ago, it was," the tech genius defended. "Back then, the steel mills were a booming business making a lot of money, and they were a prime front for shady organizations. But that was a long time ago. I mean, to put it in perspective, you had just barely begun becoming friends with Ron at that time."

Ron's face also appeared on her Kimmunicator via a split-screen. "KP, isn't the most important thing the fact that we found them, not _who_ found them?"

"I guess," she grumbled. "Alright. Ron, meet me at the Sloth. Wade, try to pull up a schematic of that building and find us a couple different ways inside."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Despite the reassurances of his daughter's new husband, Heathcliff simply couldn't make his common sense sit comfortably with the idea of leaving his daughter's fate primarily in the hands of a pair of teenagers. Even if they were the pair that had gotten him and his wife out of Italy, they were still just kids. And no matter how many whack-jobs they may have faced and defeated, how many had been willing to kill the two young people immediately without a second thought instead of putting them in elaborate and easily escapable death traps?

And so, while Andy had been distracted, he had quickly put in a secret call to his old partner Sergeant Bork down at the precinct. After all, if you couldn't trust your former partner in police work, you couldn't trust anybody…

* * *

Cavalli smiled as he watched the monitor. Apparently, their prisoner had started formulating a plan, as there were periodic flashes jumping from her fingers at the bracelets. However, judging from what he could see, the effect was like throwing pebbles at a sheet of metal—maybe a slight impression, but it would take at least three days of constantly hitting the same spot before the mint-skinned woman would even make a sizeable dent, much less do any damage to her manacles. And even if she were successful, all it would take would be the push of a button and the room would be filled with knockout gas. Then they'd simply put her back at square one by fitting her with new ones—after all, they had plenty of extras since they'd originally planned to capture all the Godfrey siblings.

At that moment his cell phone rang, and Cavalli ran a confident hand over his bald head before picking up the device and opening it.

"Yeah?"

"Cavalli, it's Stan Bork. Thought Don Risatti would like to know that Heathcliff Godfrey just called me, and that Team Possible knows where you're holding Sheila. In addition, they're planning an assault as we speak consisting of Team Possible, Sheila's brothers, and the villains known as Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn—evidently Motor Ed is related to Sheila's new husband and Adrena Lynn is Ed's current girlfriend. Also, I'm diverting the message so the GCPD thinks you're on the other side of Go City."

Cavalli grinned. "Good work, Bork. I'll see to it that Don Risatti gets the message."

When the bald gangster relayed the communiqué, Carmine smiled. "_Buono_, Cavalli, to both you and Bork. Notify Garbrelini of this development, and tell Mancini to prepare a _trattamento speciale_ for our expected guests—one of his 'special' variety."

"Yes, Don Risatti," Cavalli replied with an evil smirk. "It will be done at once."

* * *

Less than half an hour later, Team Possible, Team Go, and "Team Rush" were gathered in a strategy-planning circle in the shadows of a building near to the Smythe-Wilson & Co. warehouse. Kim was still feeling a little miffed about who had found the Risattis' location—after all, if it had been Team Go (or better yet herself and Ron) who had found them, it would be the good guys being heroes. But for some reason the idea that it had been Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn who had located the place where the mobsters were keeping Sheila bugged her in the worst way.

When Andy and Sheila had helped against the Lorwardians it had been different because, thanks to the Attitudinator and its souped-up version the Reverse Polarizer, Kim had known the capacity for good had lain within them. But knowing that other members of her rogues gallery could do the right thing unnerved her just a bit. After all, villains were supposed to be inherently evil, and thus lacking in the capacity for good deeds. And yet, here were two more of her more well-known bad guys doing something that quite frankly the red-head had always associated with those who did hero work.

Regardless of Kim's misgivings, however, there was a job to be done, one that needed her complete focus.

"Alright, according to what we know and to Wade's schematic," she said as she pointed at the projected hologram, "this room on the north side of the building is where Sheila's being held. And based on what Sheridan told us about the way the Risattis operate, the lock for the door isn't going to be on the door but probably in one of these adjoining rooms. Also, because of Sheila's condition, we can't take her out through the vents or out any window that's not on the ground floor."

"So then what's the plan, KP?" Ron supplied.

Kim smiled that he'd been the one to ask. "First off, we're gonna need a pretty big distraction to draw a good number of them out to the south side so we can get Sheila out with as little trouble as possible. I'm leaving that to Hego, the Wegos, and Motor Ed. Specifically, Motor Ed, we need you to use some of your mechanical genius to mess with their cars so they can't leave."

"Ahhhhhhhh-yeah," the mullet-haired villain replied as he pulled off an air guitar motion. "Motor Ed's gonna pull some major modifications on those rides. Seriously, I am."

Kim handed her Kimmunicator to Mego. "Mego, since you can shrink and avoid detection the easiest, we need you to find the control and surveillance room and help Wade jack into and take it over. Use the port on my Kimmunicator on any USB port, and Wade can do the rest. Then just cause as much damage as you can to the other consoles."

The violet Godfrey brother grinned again. "See, shrinking's useful again. Guess _my_ power's not so worthless after all."

Werner frowned. "Kim, you keep this up, he's gonna become even more insufferable."

Wesley nodded. "Yeah. I mean, this is the second mission involving you guys that you've told him he's got an important part to play."

Kim frowned. "Focus, people. Now, that leaves Adrena Lynn, Ron, and me for the internal infiltration and Sheila's extraction. According to Wade's intel, the best ways to get in are from the east, west, and through the roof. Adrena Lynn, you take the roof; Ron, you take the west side; and I'll take east. Now, getting Sheila out is Priority One here—everything else comes only if necessary. Remember, our primary objective is to get her out safe."

Adrena Lynn smirked. "What's wrong, Kim? Not wanting to give these mobsters a few cracked skulls?"

The red-head glared at the extreme teen. "Not if it costs Sheila or her twins, no. My main goal here is getting her out without so much as a scratch if at all possible. And you might want to consider that if you and Motor Ed make it all the way, the kids she's carrying are going to be your nephew and—Ouch! Ron, what did you do that for?"

The young man drew back from pinching her with a meaningful look on his face, and she immediately realized she'd almost told all of them that Sheila wasn't carrying two boys but in fact one boy and one girl—something none of them were supposed to find out until Kimono was born. The only reason she, Ron, and Wade knew was because Xander had accidentally let it slip that his twin was a sister instead of a brother—he hadn't even revealed the information to his parents while he and June had been in this time period the previous summer. Kim nodded her understanding and smiled before turning back towards the rest of the group.

"As I was saying, assuming things work out between you two, those kids are going to be your nephews and you're going to be their aunt. So for their sake, Adrena Lynn, put the need for a rush aside and focus on the smart thing here."

It was obvious from the hard look in the teen daredevil's eyes that the way Kim had phrased that touched a raw and hot nerve, but she still nodded her at least temporary compliance. However, Kim couldn't help but think that the same idea she had of wanting to go at it with the extreme teen was also coursing like a fire through the other young woman's head and veins. But right now that need for a throw-down needed to take a back seat to the more pressing sitch of Sheila's current predicament. Of course, that didn't mean Kim wasn't going to take Adrena Lynn's suggestion of letting out some of her frustrations on some of the mobsters they were about to go up against…

* * *

Carmine Risatti frowned as he looked over his subordinate's shoulder at the video screens showing the outside of the warehouse. According to Bork the assault was coming soon, but right now all was quiet. It didn't help the gangster's piece of mind that this warehouse, although the most protected stronghold the mob faction had in Go City, wasn't anywhere close to as impenetrable as his villa back in Venice. Compared to that virtual fortress, this building might as well have had gaping holes in the wall. Infiltration, while not simple, wouldn't be the problem for his adversaries that he wanted it to be.

It didn't even have a way to hold prisoners that wasn't on the outside wall. Not that there would be any chance of anyone getting his prisoner out the small window, but it still gave her a way to possibly get a signal out. He glanced at the feed showing the room where she was being held, and noticed that just like the past three hours, she was still firing miniscule bolts of her glow at the power-dampening bracelets they'd placed on her wrists. He allowed himself a small smile at his forward thinking in making sure the metal was impervious to any sort of energy blast. Still, Sheila's face was hard to read, and it bothered him a little that she'd been going at it non-stop for so long…almost as if she were making microscopic increments of progress.

Carmine was jerked out of his thoughts by the sudden blaring of an alarm. He quickly nodded at the man sitting at the terminal, who pressed a button. "Report," the gangster said into the radio.

"We are under attack!" came a calm yet worried voice. "Team Go and Motor Ed have appeared and are attempting to access the building, and Motor Ed has already disabled two of the cars. I'd advise that we get Don Risatti evacuated _now_!"

The mob boss slammed his hand on the speaker button. "I am not going anywhere, you worthless _codardo_! And those idiots out there aren't the ones we need to be worrying about. I want you to do an immediate sweep of the complex—find Stoppable and Possible!"

* * *

Kim smiled as she found an open window on the east side of the warehouse. She'd seen how quickly Motor Ed had gotten to the mobster's modes of escape, and how easy it had been for him to quickly disable the transports. If the Risattis were going to make things this easy for them, they'd have this sitch wrapped up in no time flat. However, as she slipped through the open window, she realized exactly why it had been open—she was now facing a group of about ten who looked like they had been expecting her.

"Hi guys, mind if I drop in to see a friend?" she said as she dropped into a fighting stance.

Several of the gangsters grinned maliciously as they advanced on her.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Ron didn't like the sitch one bit. For one thing, while he agreed with Kim's assessment that they needed to split up to enter the building, the encounter in Venice had proven the Risatti Crime Family wasn't like they're normal villains. Even now he could still vividly picture the confident smirk on that bald guy's face as he shot through one of his own men in attempt to keep Ron from climbing into the safety of SAI-AT's extraction tube. He'd yet to tell Kim, but the bullet that emerged from the surprised man's chest had come mere inches from hitting Ron as well, ricocheting with a harsh clang off the edge of the entrance to the metal tube—another centimeter to the left and his love could have easily become his widow before she became his wife.

Still, as he located a vent he could enter on the west side of the Smythe-Wilson warehouse, he knew that the more threats they could offer to the criminal organization the more likely the mobsters were to make a mistake. Years of distracting the villains had taught him that the more directions you made the bad guys focus on the better chance you had of getting through their defenses. But that didn't make his mind rest any easier.

And the fact that he immediately had to drop out of the vent to prevent himself from becoming Swiss cheese due to a moving laser grid didn't help matters. Nor did it help that he immediately found himself surrounded by a group of the mobsters.

"Aww, man. 'Boo Yeah' denied before it even gets out," he griped as he began fending off their attacks.

However, it bugged him that none of the gangsters seemed to be reaching for the guns they had in shoulder and hip holsters…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Adrena Lynn frowned as she made her way up to the roof. Why was she helping out Kim Possible when her main goal in life right now was to humiliate and discredit the teen to the point of making her quit the hero business before finally taking her out for good? More importantly, why was she going along with the young woman's plan so easily, even taking orders from the red-head?

As she pulled herself up over the roof's edge, she was struck by the notion that maybe Kim had hit it on the head when she mentioned the possibility of going all the way with Motor Ed. At the moment, the extreme teen was looking at her relationship with the petrol-head rock fanatic as what it was: a wild and insane ride that was giving her a new type of thrill she'd never experienced before. But seeing the way the mullet-haired villain had looked in a tuxedo had caused an unfamiliar feeling to start coursing through the blonde's mind: curiosity at the idea of settling down. Being who she was, Adrena Lynn had always assumed she'd be a confirmed bachelorette for life—that no man would ever be able keep up with her wildcat attitude and adrenaline-driven lifestyle.

And yet there was something about Motor Ed that she simply couldn't ignore, something that drew her to him like the gravity she loved to defy with stunts that snapped her from the jaws of peril. And it wasn't like the cheap thrills she'd gotten nearly five years ago when she'd been doing her fake stunts. No, this was more like the true adrenaline rush she got with the real stunts she loved now, stuff like the caper she'd pulled the past May when she'd kidnapped Possible's boy toy and forced the teen heroine to fight against her.

Realizing she was drifting, she shook her head to clear it as she removed a grating and front-flipped into a headfirst dive into a pipe leading into the building like a base-jumper diving off a cliff.

"Let's get FR-EAKY!" she yelled as she plummeted inside.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Mego glanced around the room uneasily. Things were way too quiet inside the building for an attack to be taking place. Ducking behind a pile of boxes, he pressed the activation button Kim had shown him.

"Wade, I don't like this. No one's coming after _me_, and I've been skulking around this place for a good ten minutes now. I mean, _I'm_ a serious threat here."

The tech genius sighed but nodded. "I agree that it's strange, Mego, but think of it as a blessing—if they're not coming after you, that makes your part in this that much easier. And if it bothers you that much, just make sure you make them pay for underestimating _you_."

As the violet-skinned Godfrey brother nodded and kept going, Wade couldn't resist a small smile. Thanks to the numerous missions he'd coordinated for Kim and Ron, and to his two friends' differing personalities, he'd learned a while back that you needed to speak different ways to different people. And evidently his emphasizing that Mego could make the Risattis pay for underestimating him had been the ticket to getting the narcissistic hero to focus more intently on the mission. He grinned, that is, until he realized that he wasn't hearing any gunshots whatsoever. That struck him as odd, as everything he'd gathered on the Risatti's methods during the Venice mission had put forth the idea that they had no problems using lethal force. Something wasn't adding up…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim's breathing was even as she sent the second of her attackers flying seemingly unconscious into a crate. The fight was going a lot easier than she'd expected it to be, and it was boosting her confidence. She couldn't resist the grin that was spreading across her face, or throwing in a few choice taunts.

"You know, if this is the way you guys normally fight, I'm actually not that surprised the Risatti Crime Family hasn't moved past the organized crime aspect of villainy. You guys fall easier than guys fresh out of Hench Co.'s Junior Trainee programs."

She quickly ducked as one of the mobsters tried to circle around and catch her with a punch to the back of the head, sweeping the legs of two others with a low-spinning split kick as she did so.

"I mean, you honestly expect moves like that to work on me? Don't you even know who I am?"

The thugs remained quiet, although they did seem to be trying a bit harder, and all of them had gotten much harder sets to their mouths. But still Kim was handling them fairly easily, the only reason she hadn't moved on from them being the fact they still had her outnumbered eight to one. However, she did take note that none of them had yet to fire his gun at her, although she passed it off as them assuming they wouldn't need the firearms to beat her. The red-head also began noticing that none of her opponents were picking up much in the way of bruises despite numerous amounts of her strikes hitting many of them in the face. That sent an idea crashing to the front of her mind, something she really didn't like to think of as a possibility. She reached for her wrist, but then remembered she'd handed her Kimmunicator off to Mego so he could help Wade hack into the security system.

_I really hope I'm wrong about this sitch_, she thought with an inward grimace as she continued exchanging blows with the mobsters, now exercising a lot more caution about how much energy she put into each strike. _I really, REALLY hope I'm wrong._

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Sheila frowned as she fired off what felt like the two hundredth mini-shot at her left manacle. Sighing in frustration, she glanced out the small window at the quickly darkening sky. Over three hours of this, and she still hadn't made a dent. She wasn't even worried anymore that the camera nestled in a top corner if the room could see what she was doing, as she hadn't managed to do anything of any consequence to the bracelet.

_This is definitely not how I pictured spending my wedding night,_ she thought with an angry glance at the digital spy. _Carmine, you'd better hope we never meet face to face when I can use my powers at will._

Despite that mental threat, however, her situation was no better now than it had been when she'd first been abducted. She was still a prisoner, still dressed in her wedding dress (the mobsters hadn't planned this thing far enough to include her pregnancy), and still very much pregnant to point of popping. Out of frustration she formed her hand into a gun and fired several of the micro-bolts at the surrounding walls. All of them easily made pin-sized holes…except for the two that hit the metal door. Curious, she got up and crossed to it to examine where her shots had hit.

_Not even a singe mark_, she thought with a frown. _And if I'm correct, this is the same material these bracelets are made of._

Immediately, the realization hit her that Carmine and his goons had evidently anticipated her actions. The thought that she'd been played so easily enraged her even past the point she'd been at when she'd seen Warmonga about to take out the Princess the first time she met the nine-foot-tall alien woman, something that as a villainess Sheila had always considered to be her own personal right. Her blood was beginning to boil in fury, and without thinking she immediately let both fists fire up to full-power. A second and a half later she was rewarded for her outburst with vicious shocks from both bracelets, causing her eyes to shut tight in pain and her glow to quickly wink out. She was about to scream out loud when she suddenly felt a very sharp twinge in her left lower back, followed shortly by an identical twinge on her right lower back. Her eyes went wide in horror as she realized what was happening.

_Oh, God, please not now!_ she begged the heavens as she returned to the cot and carefully laid herself out, trying to slow and control her currently expedited breathing. _Anything but here and like this—Please!_

_

* * *

_

_a/n_

_Well, things are a little tense here in my neck of the woods right now. Got a few issues in my personal life I've had to take care of recently, and a couple more that popped up after the first round were seemingly done with. But, I'm still committed to this thing, as well as to the art pieces that illustrate it. Hopefully soon I'll be able to start posting them to DevArt...including a couple of preview pics for the next story in this saga, **The Plausible Sitch**. ;) I'm also debating whether or not to start publishing these stories over there as well, just so people don't have to bounce back and forth, but we'll see about that._

_So things are heating up in Go City. Will Kim and the others get to Sheila in time, or will Carmine and his gang get what they want? And what is the trap that Mancini was ordered to have waiting? More importantly, why haven't they yet used their guns?_

_These questions and more will be answered in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_Also, special nod to **rye bread**, who provided my 500th(!) total review. You rock in stereo!_

_We also draw ever closer to the 300th(!) review for this tale alone. Wonder who will get that one? :)_


	37. Chapter 37

A/N

Chapter 37 is up and running!

- Heathcliff reveals what he's done, but he's about to get a wake-up call concerning his beliefs.

- The attack on the Risatti stronghold in the Smythe-Wilson warehouse continues, but things are about to get a whole lot more complicated.

- Then the good guys have a new problem to deal with: Sheila seems to be in labor!

So the drama!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Immediately, the realization hit Sheila that Carmine and his goons had evidently anticipated her actions. The thought that she'd been played so easily enraged her even past the point she'd been at when she'd seen Warmonga about to take out the Princess the first time she met the nine-foot-tall alien woman, something that as a villainess Sheila had always considered to be her own personal right. Her blood was beginning to boil in fury, and without thinking she immediately let both fists fire up to full-power. A second and a half later she was rewarded for her outburst with vicious shocks from both bracelets, causing her eyes to shut tight in pain and her glow to quickly wink out. She was about to scream out loud when she suddenly felt a very sharp twinge in her left lower back, followed shortly by an identical twinge on her right lower back. Her eyes went wide in horror as she realized what was happening.

_Oh, God, please not now!_ She begged the heavens as she returned to the cot and carefully laid herself out, trying to slow and control her currently expedited breathing. _Anything but here and like this—Please!_

_

* * *

_

"YOU DID WHAT?" Sheridan screamed at her husband.

"I called Stan Bork and told him where the Risattis are holding Sheila," Heathcliff replied calmly. "I told you I'm not going to trust our daughter's safety to the decisions made by a pair of hot-headed kids."

"You idiot!" his wife replied aggravation soaking her angered tone as she slapped him hard across the face. "If anyone at that precinct is dirty like Kim and Ron suspect, it's Bork! Or have you forgotten that he was investigated _twice_ by your Internal Affairs Department because _multiple_ criminals accused him of taking bribes?"

Heathcliff's eyebrow raised just enough to be noticeable. "No more than _you_ seem to have forgotten he was _cleared_ both times, Sheridan, or the fact that he was my partner and saved my life against the same criminals that accused him on multiple occasions. Bork's a good cop—he's just had to go through some hard times. And I trust him with my life."

Sheridan looked livid. "And I've told _you_ before that him being your former partner doesn't change the fact that _I don't_ trust him with the saliva I'd spit on him! You have no idea how many times I prayed that you'd get reassigned to be someone else's partner, or how many times I worried that he was going to stab you in the back and I'd be left to raise the kids alone! If our daughter gets hurt during this because the Risattis knew Team Possible and our sons were coming, I'm holding _you_ responsible!"

With that she stormed off to another part of the tower, leaving an equally fuming husband behind her. He watched her go before turning towards the blue-skinned man who had been an unwilling witness to the argument.

"Sorry you had to see that, Andy," he said with a smile after taking a calming breath.

Andy Lipsky frowned. "Actually, Heathcliff, she…nnnngg…she kind of has a point. I can tell you from my days as a super-villain that when you're looking for a police officer to bribe who will accept the payoff, the best place to look is at a department's IAD files for those who've been investigated for it before. Because that's who'll be most likely to take the money and turn the blind eye or keep their mouth shut. And the second-best place to look is at who in the station has had financial difficulty in the past or is having money trouble at the present time."

The smile faded in a heartbeat as something seemed to click in Heathcliff's mind, and he quickly headed over to a communications station that let his sons as Team Go tune in to all the police bands and scanners. Once there, he fired up the system, turning the volume up as high as he could possibly get it to go.

"…reports of abduction of Sheila Lipsky in the business district. All units proceed with extreme caution. Suspects are members of the Risatti Crime Family and are considered armed and extremely dangerous…"

Heathcliff spun around to say something, but Andy was already working the controls for the main computer.

"Wade, the Risattis knew we were coming," the blue-skinned man said with a fevered urgency.

The next thing Andy heard was the sound of a door slamming, followed by the computer alerting him to the hangar for the Team Go jet being opened. At that moment, Sheridan came back in the room.

"Andy, what was wrong with Heathcliff just now? I know we just had that fight, but he looked like a man possessed."

Andy's frown deepened. "He had his eyes opened to the kind of people he's been trusting."

Sheridan glanced out the window at the tail end of her sons' jet as it screamed in the direction of the city at much too high a speed for the short distance. _Heathcliff, don't do this again._

_

* * *

_

Mego grinned as he looked at the unconscious bald man on the floor in front of him. He'd known ever since he'd first gotten his powers that there was a way to use his shrinking/re-growing ability to surprise an opponent, but up until today it had never worked. Maybe that was because before he'd always tried a surprise attack from behind. And yet today he had finally decided to try it from the front, sneaking through his opponent's legs before growing with a rising uppercut to catch the unsuspecting mobster clean and hard on the chin. The blow had sent the man sprawling backwards, out cold and dead to the world.

"I _told_ Hector and Sheila it could work," he gloated to no one. "I _told_ them _I_ was right."

Quickly refocusing on his mission, he quickly connected the watch-like device Kim had given him to the computer, and pressed the activation button she'd shown him. Almost immediately, the young woman's techno pal came on the screen.

"I got you plugged in, Wade. I did my part perfectly."

Wade grimaced. "Thanks, Mego. And looks like we're gonna need it. Evidently your dad called the GCPD anyway."

"But that's a good thing, right?"

"Apparently not," the young man replied with another grimace. "Seems Kim and Ron were right about their being dirty cops in the department. Whoever Heathcliff called sent the police to the business district on the other side of Go City while at the same time warning Carmine about our infiltration."

Mego smirked. "See, _I told_ Dad she was right. And _I_ was also the _first_ one who told Kim that Dad wouldn't listen to her."

However, he quickly noticed that Wade wasn't listening. Instead, the tech genius seemed to be staring at another of his computers with a look of horror.

"Mego, we've got a big problem! The Risattis have isolated your mom's serum in Sheila's bloodstream, and they've dosed their entire force with it!"

"So what do _I_ need to do about it?" the violet-skinned hero replied.

Wade frowned. "Unfortunately, I need you to stay here and guard the Kimmunicator. When I added the grapple and electromagnet features to this model I had to make a choice between its transport and defensive features, and I chose to keep the transport features in case they ever got separated from their user. We'll just have to rely on the others to be able to handle themselves."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim both frowned and smiled as she tossed another thug for the tenth time. Normally, it only took a few well-placed strikes and one of her tosses to knock out henchmen, but these members of the Risattis were far more resilient. At least like the others the one she'd just thrown hard against a wall appeared finally beaten. In fact, all of her opponents seemed to be losing steam, and at the same time appeared to finally be feeling the effects of the bumps and bruises she'd given them so far. One was even starting to sport a black eye, while another who she'd punched or kicked in the face so many times he should have looked like a bulldog by now finally appeared like he might have a broken nose.

And yet there were two things picking at the back of the young woman's mind as the fight progressed. The first was that despite the notion that all ten of her opponents were carrying guns, not a single shot had been fired—as a matter of fact, they hadn't even drawn the weapons from their holsters. Kim supposed she should be grateful for that, but her experience with this group in Venice had her well aware that they had no qualms about using firearms against her. Heck, part of the reason for the sloppy (at least in her mind) pullout of Heathcliff and Sheridan involving SAI-AT's crashing through the apartment building's roof had been because she, Ron, and Sheila's parents had been pinned down under a hail of bullets flying into the apartment from all directions. And according to Ron, members of this branch of the Italian mob had no problems shooting through each other if it meant they hit their opponent. So why were they now so trigger-shy?

The second issue prodding at the back of her mind was a bit more urgent: the need to free Sheila as soon as possible. Sure, she'd set it up where she and Ron would serve as distractions while Adrena Lynn did the actual extraction, but the longer the fight went the less positive Kim felt about the plan she'd come up with. For most villains, once she and Ron achieved the main objective they were aiming for the bad guys seemed to lose a little steam, as if they sensed the imminent defeat the two young people were about to hand them. Yet the Risattis were still going full-force in trying to repel them, which indicated that the mobsters were still confident they had Sheila safely in their clutches. And the longer that remained the case, the more likely it was for Sheila to possibly go into labor while still a prisoner of the Italian mob, something Kim had personally promised the mint-skinned woman's mother wouldn't happen.

_Ron, I hope you're making more progress than I am right now_, she thought as she pressed her attack.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Ron Stoppable had been frustrated before, but his agitation was reaching far greater levels at the moment, heights that he'd only felt a few times before. Despite the fact that he appeared to have an advantage over the goons he was engaged in combat with, it wasn't enough to end the skirmish quickly. And yet no matter how much he tried, he couldn't access any part of his MMP…although he did notice he was fighting slightly better than normal. Still, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stir the mystical energies that he knew filled his body. The irony was not lost on him, as the last time he'd had this much trouble accessing his powers had happened when Adrena Lynn had kidnapped him, and now the villainess was actually working _with_ them.

Maybe it was that little fact that bugged him so much—the having to rely on a villain for help. He and Kim had discussed it after Drakken and Shego…or rather Andy and Sheila…had helped against the Lorwardians, and again when they provided assistance while he and his love had been turned into Zorpox and the Lady Kigo respectively. But it was still a hard pill to swallow. One of the things he loved about what he and Kim did as Team Possible was that they could be counted on to come through when most couldn't. It wasn't that it went to his head, but it was hard not to be proud of the idea that a lot of the world relied on them almost like a "last line of defense" of sorts. And then ever since the alien invasion the respect and trust had been even more forthcoming—particularly towards him after it was revealed that Ron had used his powers in the final battle to finally put an end to Warmonga and Warhok's attack. During the attack, when Kim had been down, Ron had had little to no trouble summoning the Mystical Monkey Power, and it made him proud to know he had been able to step up when Kim needed him most.

And yet ever since then he had experienced problems with accessing the energies. When he could it was as erratic as ever, and then there was the rest of the times he tried…times like now when he couldn't even begin to tap the power that filled him. And if he couldn't do it against a bunch of low-level thugs and mobsters, how could he possibly expect to take on a fully-Yono-powered Monkey Fist if Bates and D.N. Amy succeeded in their plot to revive the simian villain?

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Hego frowned as he continued tossing heavy crates and pieces of metal at the Risattis who had exited the building to confront them. In all the time he had known Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, he had always noted the remarkable speed with which they handled crisis situations.

"Hego, I don't like this," remarked the Wego standing next to him (Hego had always had trouble telling them apart, even before the comet gave them nearly identical looks as a side-effect of their copying power). "Should it be taking this long?"

The other Wego came over the radio. "I agree, Wesley. I mean, they've been inside for almost an hour now, and the Risattis just keep coming out after us. Plus, I'm not seeing any more green flashes from the room we think Sheila's probably being held in. It's just been one continuous green glow."

"Dudes, you totally need to learn to relax a bit. Seriously, you do," Motor Ed replied over the radio as well. "Red and Skinny Dude may be good at what they do, but sometimes they hit snags. I mean, I think I'm one of the few who can claim at least one victory over her cause me and Cousin Drew once managed to steal what we wanted and leave her literally 'red'. Seriously, we got away and left her covered in red paint. Seriously. And actually, I can totally claim more than one, cause it took her three tries all three times we met for her to take me down, and that was only with her friend's seriously tricked-out wheelchair doing most of the work two of those times. Seriously, that chair totally rocks. Seriously, it does."

Hego grimaced. "As much as I hate to say it, the villain is right, guys. We need to give them more time. Though I am starting to wonder why the Risattis aren't using their guns."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

It was taking everything Adrena Lynn had to not jump the gangsters passing beneath her as she skulked along the tops of air ducts and dashed among shadows when she had to move along the floor levels. She definitely preferred activities that pushed her adrenaline and endorphins to their full capacity, meaning she would have preferred being in the thick of the fighting to all this sneaking around. The only reason she'd agreed to Possible's plan of being responsible for the actual infiltration and extraction of her boyfriend's new sister-in-law while Team Possible distracted Carmine's men was because the red head had assured her it was just as much of a rush to know that you could be caught at any moment—a view that the extreme teen definitely wasn't agreeing with. It had actually gotten so intolerable that Adrena Lynn was starting to push her luck even more than she knew she should just on the off-chance someone might see her and she might get a little bit of the action that Kim and Ron seemed to be hogging for themselves.

Of course the young daredevil woman had to admit that Possible's reasoning wasn't the full cause of her compliance with the current plan. While they had been waiting for the others to arrive, Motor Ed had shown a side of himself she rarely saw, a side that actually cared for his family—a family that Sheila as Andy Lipsky's new bride was now a part of. If any other guy had asked her to focus on the rescue instead of her vendetta against Possible, Adrena Lynn would have refused without a second thought. But there was something about the look on Eddie Lipsky's face that had convinced the blonde that she needed to cooperate with the teen hero at least for now. And when Possible had made her part of the actual infiltration of the Smythe-Wilson warehouse, her only condition for agreeing had been fulfilled, as she had refused to be part of the outside distraction that would draw the mobsters outside.

Still, would it kill some of these mobsters to pay just a little more attention? She'd half-expected her yell while descending through the ventilation shaft she'd entered through to alert someone, but no one had apparently heard her as she dropped into an empty room, nor were they there to see or hear her make her way up to the top of the vents. The extreme teen was about to start grumbling to herself when she heard some angry voices below. Curious, she paused just out of sight.

"I am sorry, Don Risatti," said a slimy voice that sounded like it still came from a pretty knowledgeable man, "but it appears the version of the serum I isolated in Sheila Godfrey's blood wasn't the pure one. Its affects won't be lasting much longer."

"Disappointing, Dr. Vincenzo," a much older male's voice remarked. "Do you have enough sample to extract the _actual_ serum?"

The slimy voice seemed hesitant to answer. "Yes, but the problem is that I used most of our supplies to create the synthesis I gave to the others. It would take a full have day to create more, and I can't even guarantee I have enough here to make even one full dose of the serum."

The older gentleman growled. "_Very_ disappointing, Doctor. You had better hope that Mancini's tricks hold them off, or your future will become grim indeed."

_Tricks?_ thought Adrena Lynn with a snarling frown as she continued moving. _I knew it! I'm missing ALL the action! Eddie, you'd better be grateful for this. Any fewer muscles or less of that FR-EAKY lion's mane and I wouldn't be sticking around._

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Wade frowned as he continued working the security set-up. According to the schematics and systems he was accessing, certain rooms were much more heavily guarded and secured than others. And judging from what the young man was seeing, these particular security measures had been set up after the rest and were separate from the system yet still connected…almost as if the one who had set them up wanted the system operator to know they were there but not be able to control them. Then it hit the tech genius that this type of layout normally signified only one type of thing—carefully laid defensive traps! Quickly, his hand flew to the call button for the Kimmunicators. Then he paused as he realized in horror there was no way to warn Kim! However, his hesitation lasted only a second as his brain quickly thought up another plan and he slammed the button to call Ron's Kimmunicator.

"Ron!" he yelled urgently.

"Little busy, Wade!" the young man remarked.

"No time, Ron! There are traps set up just outside the door to that room, stuff like electrified floors, localized bombs, and laser grids. And I'm betting there are ones outside the door to the room Kim's fighting in as well. The Risattis wanted us fighting in those rooms—that's why you and Kim got in so easily! Carmine is betting that if the thugs didn't stop you, the traps would!"

Ron was about to respond when he saw the smiles on his opponents' faces growing larger and more sinister, confirming what his friend had just declared as fact. "Wade, you've got to warn Kim!"

"I can't!" the tech genius countered. "She gave her Kimmunicator to Mego so he could help me hack into their system, remember?"

Ron quickly swept the legs out from under three of the thugs to give himself a bit of movement room. "So then what do we do? Cause I think these guys are fading, and that means KP's going to be walking right into their traps!"

"Ron, you've got to finish up there and get over to her! She's on the floor below you on the opposite side. You should be fast enough to get through your stuff without getting caught in it. Kim's good at dodging, but even she's said you're better at it than she is! And right now, her coming out of this depends on what you can do to help her!"

Ron was about to reply in contradiction when it felt like a switch had been flipped. Whereas prior to that instant he had heard nothing internally but the sounds of his own breathing and his evenly pounding heart, suddenly he heard the sound of dozens of monkeys. And surprisingly, they didn't sound enraged—instead, they sounded serene yet riled, as if they were about to accost someone threatening their homes. The room was suddenly bathed in a blue light as Ron's MMP flared to blazing and roaring life!

_What? Why now?_ he thought as glanced at his hands bathed in a flaming cobalt aura.

However, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Those thugs that weren't already unconscious were quickly recovering from their shock at seeing the young man before them surrounded by an azure fire, and for the first time seemed willing to reach for their guns.

"Boo Yeah," he declared in a serious tone as his jaw set and he determined not to let them draw the weapons. He zoomed towards them, putting everything he could muster behind ever single punch he threw as he tore through their ranks. More than one of the jaws shattered, and more than one nose was crushed from the force of his blows. A few of them managed to pull their guns from the holsters and send erratic shots at him, but he paid the bullets no mind as they sailed harmlessly past his head. He didn't stop until every thug was either unconscious or curled into an incapacitated pained ball.

However, no sooner had the last thug sailed harshly across the room than the Mystical Monkey Power vanished as quickly as it had come. But Ron never noticed as he flew with a flying kick at the door, knocking it off its hinges and using the piece of wood as a sort of makeshift surfboard to skirt across the wires that had been laid in the next room, not even noticing the lasers or mini-bombs that took chunks out of his ride as he flew across the space, cutting through the gas hanging in the air so quickly that it never even began to faze him. All he could think of was finding the stairs and getting down to where Kim was so he could prevent her from walking into the trap waiting for her…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Sheila groaned as she felt the next spasm rock her nerves with its agonizing torment. At first she tried to deny what was happening as she lay there on the cot, but the more time passed, the more she had to face facts. Whether she wanted it or not, it seemed that someone had decided that her labor was starting now.

But she could also tell something wasn't quite right. If these were in fact the contractions that signaled her labor starting, they were very erratic and hard to judge. And they weren't all equal, as some were barely twinges while others felt like the instant the Princess had kicked her into the tower at Bueno Nacho headquarters only a million times worse. No, something definitely wasn't right about this.

And to top it all off, her stomach was blazing like a beacon. However, this wasn't like before, when she could distinguish between the glows each unborn child was giving off. No, now it was like one big blue-green lighthouse signal emanating from her midsection. The kids had apparently not liked that shock the bracelets had given her, and were making their protests known strongly.

"I know," she grimaced out as she put a hand over each side. "But please, boys, wait for Mommy to get somewhere that's better for you to arrive in. _Please._"

As was the usual response, there was a fervent kick from inside the left side of her stomach, intensifying the developing cramp on that side and making Sheila wince.

"I know, but I'm begging you, _please_. Just hold on a little longer. Someone will be here to help us if you'll just give me a little more time."

As if in response to her pleas, there suddenly appeared at the small window in the door to her cell a very familiar blonde young woman.

"Sheila?"

"Adrena…Adrena Lynn?" the mint-skinned woman gasped out painfully. "You've…you've got to get me out of here! The twins are trying to come out _right now_!"

"Just a sec," the teen daredevil responded coolly but in a heightened manner. "Gotta get this lock open!"

After a few seconds there was an audible kicking sound.

"No good!" Adrena Lynn called. "Gotta find the controls." Then she paused. "Wait…Wade!"

There was the sound of a voice filled with static that Sheila couldn't recognize, but less than half a minute later the sound of the door's electronic lock could be heard sliding into the open position. The door opened, and Adrena Lynn rushed inside. However, the extreme teen immediately got a strange look on her face.

"Umm, Sheila? Isn't labor normally preceded by your water breaking?"

Sheila winced as another spasm tortured her but still managed a pained nod. "Yeah, why?"

Adrena Lynn frowned as she looked the other woman in the eye. "Cause I don't think your water's broken yet. There's not a drop of anything on this cot or on the floor."

The mint-skinned woman's eyes shut tight. "Then what the hell's happening to me? GAAAAHHH!" she screamed as one of the worst bouts yet grabbed hold.

"I don't know, but I think we need to get you out of here."

That's when Adrena Lynn noticed the window. Thinking quickly, she pressed against her ear, activating what Sheila could only assume was an ear bud radio.

"Hego, do you read? This is Adrena Lynn!"

This time Sheila could hear the voice on the other end. "Reading you, Lynn. Have you got Sheila?"

"I'm in the room with her, but I don't think I'm going to be able to get her out the door like we thought. Something's going on, and we need to get FR-EAKY here if we're gonna get out of this. There's a small window here that I'm waving a hand in front of. Care to use that strength to make it bigger?"

"I don't know…" came the hesitant reply. "I can see you waving, but…"

"ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" yelled Sheila as she gripped the sides of the cot so hard her nails punched right through the canvas. "Tell him if he doesn't get me out of here now I'm going to rip him a new one once I'm able to!" she snarled as soon as she was able.

Adrena Lynn smirked a bit at the return of the woman's snarkiness and urgently relayed the message. "Hego, you're what? Thirty-one years old? Well, if you want your sister to allow you to live to see the age of thirty-two, I suggest you use that blue Go Team Glow and turn this window into a door right now!"

"On it!" Hego replied quickly.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Wade's voice came over Kim's Kimmunicator urgently. "Time to go, Mego! Adrena Lynn's got Sheila and is on her way out, and you need to vacate the building now!"

"But won't that mean we lose our eyes on the battles?" the violet-skinned Godfrey brother replied.

"Mego, if there was ever a time to be more concerned about your own skin, this is it!" Wade replied. "There are bombs going off and Hego is about to start smashing at a section of the wall so we can get Sheila out. So you tell me how long you think that building's going to last."

"Point made," Mego replied as he removed the Kimmunicator from the port. "Quickest way for me to get out?"

"Up the stairs, turn left, shrink down, and out through a hole in the window," Wade replied. "Once out, stop on the ledge and grow back to full size so you can safely make about a ten foot jump-and-drop."

"Got it. On my way out."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim heard the explosions coming from the other side of the warehouse, and silently prayed they weren't going off near Ron, Sheila, or any of the others. She also hoped that she wasn't hearing the sounds of a chain-reaction starting, as that was exactly what it sounded like was happening. She smashed her fist into the next-to-last opponent, sending him sprawled out, then turned to face the final standing obstacle. She glared at him threateningly, and put every bit of hardness she could behind her expression

"Your move, buddy," she snapped harshly.

The thug looked at his compatriots scattered unconscious or groaning about the room, and then put a hand up to gingerly touch his currently severely misshapen nose. Then he turned and ran for the door. Kim smiled…until she saw him reach for the doorknob. The instant the mobster touched the metal fixture he went rigid, and there was the acrid smell of electrically-burning flesh. He convulsed a few times, and then fell backwards towards her, his eyes rolled up in his head and his mouth releasing red and white foam. Kim stared in shock at him, and realized that while she was horrified at the way the mobster had died, she was just as grateful that it had been him and not her who had reached for the lethally charged doorknob.

Making a snap decision, she ran up to the door and jump-kicked it as hard as she could, knocking it off its hinges and into the next room. However, no sooner had she done that than she found herself face to face with Ron flying at her as fast as his legs could carry him. He reacted faster than even she was aware he could as he dodged the flying door, and ran straight at her. Even more surprising than that was the fact that he grabbed her around the waist, instantly reversing her direction.

"Ron, what're you…"

"Time to go, KP!" he cut her off.

She realized that she was about to go back-first out the window, and wrapped herself tightly around him. As she did, she saw the live wires on the ground and the bombs starting to go off, not to mention the gas hanging in the air that seemed to be acting like an accelerant for the explosions! If she had walked in that room, it was a good bet she wouldn't have exited it.

"Traps!" Ron replied with a yell seconds before he propelled them both out the window she had entered through, taking the impact of most of the breaking glass himself. The crash sent them both tumbling, and her grip was lost. She was twisting through the air, somehow a couple feet below Ron, and saw the window above him blowing a giant fireball. She thrust out her wrist…only to remember the Kimmunicator wasn't there! She was too close to the ground to right herself, and with no moves available to lessen the inevitable collision she shut her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her, hoping to pull off some sort of cushioning roll.

A second before she knew she would hit she felt Ron's arm once again around her waist, and felt the sensations she knew to be attributed to swinging on a grapple-line. Opening her eyes, she saw Ron swinging them towards the ground.

"This isn't going to be fun!" he yelled, and she nodded her understanding.

His words were confirmed less than five seconds later as they both slammed roughly into the ground. However, the impact was far less painful than her plummet would have been, and she knew far less dangerous. The knee on one leg of her mission pants was instantly shredded, and the gravel in the grass around the warehouse did a number on her elbow, but she'd take those over a broken neck any day of the week.

Instantly they were both up, and seeing Hego smashing away at a corner of the building they quickly ran over to help. Kim could hear Sheila's agonized yells, and she doubled her speed, hearing Ron do the same beside her. Quickly she did a calculation, and got a plan in her head. She scanned for and immediately found Mego, and rushed over to snag the Kimmunicator he was carrying.

"Wade!" she yelled into the device. "Call Heathcliff and have him pick up my mom at the Go City Motor Court and bring her to Go Tower! Then call Mom and tell her to grab her emergency bag and be ready! Immediately!"

"You got it, Kim," Wade replied as the screen blipped off.

By this time, Motor Ed was helping Adrena Lynn extract Sheila through the hole Hego had created in the side of the building. Meanwhile, the Wegos were continuing to fend off the few Risattis who refused to accept the defeat, even as the warehouse gave off explosions and fireballs. Glancing up, Kim saw a helicopter with an Italian flag taking off from the roof, and she found herself locking eyes with none other than Carmine Risatti. The look on his face was one of pure fury, and she got the distinct feeling that his objectives had changed from obtaining the Godfrey serum to getting rid of her and Ron. As the helicopter took off towards the east, she could almost hear the phrase Andy used to yell emanating in the silver-maned gangster's voice.

_You think you're all that, Team Possible, but you're not!_

However, other things were more urgent at the moment. Pressing her leg muscles she dashed to where she'd stashed the Sloth, and quickly pulled it up to where Sheila was just now being freed. Ron evidently understood the plan without her having to say anything, and threw open the back door before helping Motor Ed assist Sheila in climbing inside. Kim remained in the driver's seat, and Ron piled into the passenger seat. Since Adrena Lynn was the skinniest, she climbed into the back seat with Sheila, and Kim immediately put the VTOL jets in action and streaked towards Go Tower. While they were in flight, Sheila told them what she could, her speech interrupted multiple times by her groans and screams. Just as she finished, Wade popped up on the screen.

"Bad news, Kim. I contacted your mom, but Heathcliff's not at Go Tower. Andy said he took the Team Go Jet into the city when he learned he'd been betrayed. Andy also said the hovercraft is on maintenance, and can't fly right now."

"GAAAAAAAHHHH!" Sheila yelled, bending forward in pain while she gripped Adrena Lynn and Ron's hands tight enough that they would probably have impressions later on that day.

"Darn it!" Kim yelled, slamming her hand on the steering wheel. "Alright, tell Andy and Sheridan to meet us at the door to help Sheila inside. The minute she's out, I'll go pick up Mom myself."

"What do you me to do, KP?" Ron said with a smile that was all seriousness.

Kim smiled at him. "You stay with Sheila. We've had to deliver kids in emergencies ourselves before, and if that is what's going on I want someone there with experience."

"Right," the young man replied with a grin.

Less than two minutes later, the Sloth landed and Sheila was quickly helped inside. Kim instantly took off, heading for the hotel her parents were staying at. As she descended, she noticed what looked like her dad and the hotel manager keeping an area clear for her to land, as well as her mother standing there ready and waiting in doctor's smock and carrying the black bag that Dr. Anne Possible always had with her in case she came upon a situation like a car wreck that might need an immediate doctor. The moment Kim landed, her mother climbed in and nodded. The younger woman immediately took off for Go Tower.

"Kim, I applaud you for taking charge of this, but you do realize I'm a brain surgeon and not used to delivering babies, right?" her mother said as they flew through the air.

"I know, Mom, but Sheila needs a doctor she trusts right now. And right now, that's you. And before you say it, you need to understand that she trusts you because I do."

Anne nodded at her daughter. "Okay, Kimmie. Can you tell me what we know?"

Kim took a deep breath as she swerved around some birds. "All we know right now is that Sheila's having pains and spasms like labor but that her water hasn't broken yet. We also know the twins are using their glow powers but haven't fired them yet. Also, the Go Tower medical ward has everything we need should it be that Sheila's in labor, as well as if there's any other big emergency. As long as it's not something ferociously life-threatening, we should have everything we need to take care of it. The only thing Team Go doesn't have is a doctor, but they have everything needed for stabilization so that a doctor has time to get there."

Anne thought for a moment. "Any recent trauma? Other than the kidnapping, I mean?"

Kim nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The Risattis fitted her with some bracelets similar to what GJ used to fit her with to suppress her powers, but these also had an electrical feedback feature. And from what Sheila says she got a pretty big one just before this started. I think Sheridan said something about getting those removed before we get back."

Anne nodded. "Okay, Kimmie, I'll do what I can. And just so you know: if I need a nurse you are automatically volunteered simply because you're good at reading what I need you to do without me telling you. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am," her daughter replied determinedly as she set the Sloth down on the ground just outside the door to Go Tower.

"Where's the patient?" Anne said the moment they were inside.

"This way," directed Sheridan. "I'm Sheridan Godfrey, Sheila's mother."

"Dr. Anne Possible," Anne replied as she followed the other woman.

The two women immediately entered a room off to the side. Kim noticed that the rest of the group was gathered in the main room, and she immediately went and sat next to Ron. It was only once she'd been sitting there for a few and her adrenaline had calmed that she realized the shape she was in. Her knee was badly scraped, and both elbows looked like they'd been massaged with cheese graters. Hego offered a first aid kit, and Ron insisted on being the one to patch her up. She let him, but only on the condition that he allow her to give him the same treatment. He actually had quite a few cuts from leaping out the window, as well as a wrist that looked like it was starting to swell. Kim made a mental note to have her mom check it out if she got the chance.

Around half an hour later, Sheridan Godfrey emerged, a worried look on her face. Immediately she came over to where Kim and Ron were sitting, and looked at Kim with a grateful air to her face.

"Thank you, Kim, for keeping your promise," she said with a tearful smile.

Kim smiled. "No big. And besides, this was a team effort. Couldn't have done it without your sons, Adrena Lynn, or Motor Ed."

Hego smiled. "So she is in labor?"

Sheridan smiled at her eldest, but there was definitely a worried quality to her expression. "She wasn't, but Dr. Possible decided to go ahead and induce because of the way the twins seem to be reacting to the electrical shock those bracelets gave Sheila. Neither of them is in any immediate danger, but evidently that could change pretty easily."

"Here that, Cousin Drew?" Motor Ed replied with a laugh and a slap on his cousin's back. "You're gonna be a daddy! Seriously, dude, you totally are!"

Andy looked both ecstatic and extremely nervous. "I just hope I'm a good one, Eddie."

"You will be," Ron replied with a smile. "If you put half the drive and 'never give up' attitude behind being a dad that you put behind trying to take over the world, you'll make a badical father."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

A few hours later, however, the kids still hadn't arrived, and things were getting agitated in the main room of Go Tower. Kim and Ron were mainly hanging around to wait for her mother and in case Kim was called on to act as a nurse. Adrena Lynn was hanging around mostly because Motor Ed was, and he of course continued hanging around as support for his cousin, who did actually seem to be getting more frayed the longer it took. And Andy wasn't helping matters with his constant pacing or by constantly trying to enter the room to be with Sheila.

"I'm sorry, Andy," Sheridan said as she continued denying him access, "but there just isn't enough room. It's cramped enough as it is, and Sheila said she wants me in here. To be honest, Dr. Possible's only allowing me to stay because I'm keeping Sheila calmed down as much as possible. I promise, the moment it's time for the kids to be here, we'll let you in."

"But…nnnngg…" he replied as the door was shut in his face for the fifteenth time.

And the agitation of the room was only compounded by the fact that they had yet to hear anything about what happened with Heathcliff since he'd taken off in the Team Go Jet, despite Hego's numerous attempts at locating him. They knew that the Team Go jet was located on the roof of the GCPD 5th Precinct, but every attempt to contact Mr. Godfrey through the transport's radio returned nothing but static. It was actually almost to the point of Hego insisting they find a way to head over to the station and find out what had happened, but so far his girlfriend Clarice had been able to convince him that that rash action wasn't in their best interest at the moment.

As it turned out, that plan was revealed as wise when they finally received a call from the Go City Police Department around thirty minutes later. More specifically, they received the one phone call Heathcliff was allowed to make once arrested. Apparently he'd gone straight to the precinct and had jumped Sergeant Stan Bork without so much as a word as to why. And when he'd been questioned about it, all he'd said was that Bork had had it coming for a long time. And so without any other options his former coworkers had thrown him in the overnight holding cell, scratching their heads the whole time.

However, a quick call placed from Hego to the commissioner quickly straightened things out, and Hego went to pick up his father. When they got back, Heathcliff seemed a much quieter man than the one that had been so vocal in his disapproval of Team Possible organizing his daughter's rescue. He even surprised them both when he came over to apologize.

"Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, I'm sorry about the way I acted," he said with a penitent frown. "I just never thought Bork was capable of doing something like passing information to the bad guys. As it turns out, he's been on the take for a while, and was the one who originally gave away mine and Sheridan's position when we were hiding in New York."

Kim smiled and nodded. "Hey, sometimes we want to believe the best in someone even when it's staring us in the face that they aren't what we thought they were. But we can talk about that some other time. Right now, it's better if we focus on the happy fact that you're about to be a grandfather."

He seemed to perk up quite a bit, and smiled as he went over to talk to Andy. As they watched him go, Ron kissed his love on her temple.

"You know, you talk about me being accepting, KP, but that was pretty badical there."

Kim shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I'm not saying I forgive him for it, but its not the sort of thing to have hanging over us with a pair of new lives about to enter the world."

At that moment, Anne's head poked out of the "delivery room" door. "Kimmie, I need your help in here."

"Coming, Mom," Kim replied, planting a kiss on Ron's cheek before she headed into the medical ward of Go Tower. The room was cramped with the numerous medical machines and two hospital beds. On one she found Sheila lying with her hair in a manner a far cry from its usual neat style, the bed tilted up so that she was basically sitting in a reclined position. Anne quickly pointed at a bin, and Kim pulled out what she found to be a nurse's scrub outfit. She quickly went into the connecting bathroom to change, and then came out and up to her mother.

Anne smiled at Sheila. "Okay, Sheila, it's time for the first one."

The mint-skinned woman half-grimaced, half-smiled. "Just tell me what to do, Doc."

Dr. Possible grinned. "Just don't push until I tell you to. Kimmie, I need you to get some of those towels ready. Make sure they're kept warm and damp but not wet. And Sheridan, you stay right where you are, and grip your daughter's hand. And Sheila, if you need to grasp something, that's what you grasp."

However, Sheila shook her head. "No, I want Andy in here for this."

Sheridan nodded understandingly. "Okay, Sheila, I'll get him."

She left and a few moments later Andy entered, already dressed in a gown. He smiled at Sheila, and came over and kissed her sweaty forehead tenderly. She smiled at him as he spoke.

"Sheila, we're going to have babies tonight."

"I know," she replied, a few tears escaping her eyes, and Kim wasn't altogether sure they were tears of pain.

Anne smiled. "Focus, Sheila—it's time to start pushing."

"Alright, Doc. Unnnnnnggghhh!"

Kim at first attempted to watch the child being born, but quickly found the same feeling in her stomach and throat that she'd felt the day she'd shadowed with her mother at the Middleton Medical Center. Knowing that seeing her get sick wasn't what Sheila needed to see right now, Kim quickly focused on the towels her mother had ordered her to prepare, using the sink to douse them with warm but not scalding water and then wringing them out quickly.

"Push, Sheila," Anne commanded gently.

"Gah, this hurts!" Sheila yelled. "Don't suppose there's any way you could give me something, is there?"

Anne shook her head. "I'm afraid that option was gone pretty soon after we decided to induce. But you're doing fine, Sheila. Just push."

Kim smiled at her mother. She knew her dad could be forceful, but this wasn't the first time she'd suspected that she got her ability to command a sitch from her mother. Anne Possible was normally a calm sage of advice, but she definitely knew how to take control when the situation warranted it.

Glancing over at Andy, Kim noticed a very odd ticking to his smile as he held Sheila around the shoulders. Then she glanced at his hand, and instantly knew why—his fingers were bent at awkward angles as Sheila squeezed his hand _very_ tightly, and Kim felt herself impressed that he wasn't crying out louder than Sheila at the moment. The blue-skinned former villain wasn't known for his tolerance of any sort of pain, and yet he was remaining strong for his wife…or maybe he just hadn't fully noticed what was happening. Either way, Kim found a respect for her former foe.

She was brought out of her thoughts a moment later by her mother snapping her fingers at her.

"Kimmie! Hand me one of the damp towels, and have a dry one ready! The first one's coming out!"

Less than a minute later, the room was permeated by a cry as the first of the twins entered the world.

"It's a boy," declared Anne. "Official time—11:30 PM. Andy, would you like to cut the cord?"

Andy looked blank for a moment, and then shakily used the scissors Anne handed him to snip the umbilical cord. "Hey, that's spongy," he said with a smile.

"You would say something that corny," Sheila replied as she merely shook her head weakly, though it was pretty obvious from the smile on her face she found the comment endearing.

Anne grinned as she handed the baby to Kim to dry him off and clean him up. "So which one's this?" she said with a smile at the pair.

"Xander Theodore Lipsky", the mint-skinned woman, who had leaned forward a bit with the exertion, replied as she collapsed back. Then she turned towards her husband. "Hope you're happy with these two, Drew, cause I'm not going through this again."

Anne smiled. "Afraid there's not much time to rest, Sheila. The second one's coming soon."

Kim grinned as she carefully laid the newborn in one of the hospital cradles there in the room. She smiled as she saw him take what was probably his first yawn, and found her thoughts drifting a bit to the day she would be in Sheila's position herself. However, she forced herself back to the present moment, well aware that the little boy's sibling was on the way. And she also reminded herself to act amazed at the surprise Sheila and Andy were about to get…

"Alright, here's comes the second one," Anne Possible said matter-of-factly. "And Sheila, until I tell you _don't_ push on this one. With they way they were reacting to the shock from those bracelets, we need to let him get ready in his own time."

"Got it, Doc," Sheila replied with a bit of exhaustion. "Though I hope he gives me a few more minutes."

Andy pulled out another touching moment as he gently used a small towel to wipe the sweat off her face and brow. "You're doing wonderfully, Sheila."

Sheila smiled. "Call me 'Shego'. She's stronger than Sheila is."

Her husband grinned. "Not disagreeing with you, but I think you might be wrong there," he replied as he kissed her forehead.

"Just do it," Sheila replied with a hint of her old snarkiness.

Andy nodded. "Anything you say, dear."

Anne settled in for the next one. "Okay, Sheila, I think he's ready. Go ahead and start pushing."

Sheila sighed like she really didn't want to, but sat up determinedly. She took a deep breath, and started pushing again.

"Grrrrrnnnngggg," she growled a bit, almost immediately making the toweling of her face a pointless prospect as the perspiration begain breaking out once more.

"You can do it, Shego," Andy said supportively.

"Here comes the head," Anne declared. "Oh boy! Sheila, stop pushing now!"

"What is it, Mom?" Kim said as she came up next to her mother.

"What's wrong, Doc?" Sheila said, a bit worried.

Anne frowned, turning to the side a bit to wipe her hand on a towel to the side. "Sheila, this one evidently picked up not only your glow but Andy's plant powers as well. And it looks like he feels threatened, because the vines are trying to stop things!"

Kim quickly asked the question she knew her mother was thinking. "Andy, does it hurt when that vine on your neck gets snipped?"

Andy suddenly looked a little panicked. "I…I don't know. It's never happened before. I mean, it didn't hurt when it got damaged after destroying that cannon on Warhok's ship, and it came back good as new a few minutes later. But I don't know whether or not it hurts if they intentionally get cut."

Anne turned towards her daughter. "Kim, use this scalpel and test it," she said as she handed the instrument to her.

Kim nodded. "Okay, Mom. Andy, can you extend it a bit?"

"S…s…sure," he replied nervously.

"Quickly, Andy!" Anne declared. "Time is a factor here!"

The blue-skinned man nodded, and willed the vine on his neck to go out a little bit. Kim gently grasped it, and made a quick cut through it. Then she glanced at him.

"Anything?"

"Nnnngg…no," he replied in surprise as the flower quickly regenerated. "I didn't feel a thing."

"Good enough for me," Anne replied. "Kimmie, dip that in the hot water and hand it back to me."

Kim did as she was told and then picked up a warm towel to receive the child. Anne quickly used her abilities as a brain surgeon to make a few key cuts to the vines, and the baby came the rest of the way out. There was a tense moment when the newborn didn't make a sound for a much longer period than its brother, but eventually the cry came. As Anne handed the baby to Kim to be cleaned off, she smiled.

"Official time—11:59 PM. Your boys just barely have the same birthday."

"Umm…Mom?"

"Yes, Kimmie?" Then she smiled. "Well, now, that is a surprise."

"What?" Sheila replied. "Don't tell me we've got another one coming."

Anne grinned. "No, but I think you might want to be sure you want to call this one 'Alex'."

"Why's that?" Andy replied.

Anne nodded to Kim, and the younger woman came around to the side of the bed opposite Andy, slowly opening the towel wrapped around the infant. Sheila and Andy looked at their second child, and both their eyes got wide.

"It's…a girl…" Sheila said in a soft whisper full of amazement.

Andy hugged her around her shoulders with one arm. "Well, we did say we wanted one of each. Guess someone was listening."

Sheila's face was full of wonder as Kim handed the little girl to her, and then retrieved the boy to hand him to her as well. Sheila sat there, one of her newborn children in each arm, and smiled softly.

"So totally worth it," she said adoringly. "Right, Andy?"

"What?" he said, a look of confusion on his face before it sunk in. "Oh, you mean the whole using the Reverse Polarizer. Yeah, I'd definitely say they're worth it."

Kim smiled as Anne put her arm around her. For some reason, seeing the new family before her made her forget for a moment that there were evil people in the world and that these two had once been a part of that.

"Good job, Mom," she said softly.

"You too, Kimmie," her mother replied.

* * *

Carmine Risatti growled in frustration as the helicopter made a landing at a deserted airstrip in Maine for a refueling stop before it continued to Venice. After all his careful planning, and even getting involved himself, the secret to the Godfrey formula had been lost when the warehouse went up. The fact that the majority of his thugs who hadn't managed to escape had survived the explosion, and that only a handful of them had been arrested, would normally have made his thoughts less bitter. However, two of those he had in his employ had perished either before the building was lost or during the destruction, namely Dr. Vincenzo, and the head scientist in Carmine's employ had been the only one to see any of the results of the serum's analysis. And unfortunately, the man had given the Don the wrong journal when they were evacuating.

"And all because of Team Possible," he snarled as he puffed angrily on a cigar. "Now I see why others are so annoyed by them."

Garbrelini spoke up. "We'll be refueled and ready momentarily, Don Risatti. And we have also received another report from Go City. Bork has been revealed as a spy, and has been arrested."

"_Bene, si tratta semplicemente perfetto_," Carmine growled in frustration. "Fourteen years of planning, and _all_ it does is cost me a Go City operation and my top scientist, as well as a high-ranking informant on the Go City Police. _I swear Team Possible will pay for this!_"

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

From their hidden position in the shadows a few feet away, a trio of figures frowned. One of them, however, had a much deeper frown.

"Ugh, I can't _believe _this," one of them spat in a frustrated whisper. "We finally get a legitimate threat in our area, and they're already focused on revenge against Possible and Stoppable. When will we catch a _break_?"

"Easy," another said with a hand on the first's shoulder, "we'll get our chance. After all, we have been at this longer. With all the dues we've paid, our time will come."

* * *

Bates grinned sinisterly as he went over the last notes his master had made before he'd been petrified. According to the notes on the Yono that Lord Fiske had left behind and the texts he and D.N. Amy had stolen so far, removing the Yono's curse would indeed be possible. And if things went well, it would strike a deep blow against that young man who annoyed Lord Monkey Fist so much.

"Ron Stoppable will never know what hit him," D.N. Amy said with maniacal glee. "And we'll get Monty-kins back with no trouble at all. Even that nasty Kim Possible can't stop us now."

"I agree," Bates replied nastily. "This time there will be no mistakes. Lord Monkey Fist will truly become the Ultimate Monkey Master!"

* * *

_a/n_

_Well, the new chapter is up. And things seemed to have wrapped up nicely for now. Of course, now things with Bates and D. are starting to heat up again. And isn't Ron the "Ultimate Monkey Master"? What could these two be planning?  
_

_And who were the three spying on the Risattis?_

_For the answers to these questions and more, stay tuned for the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_And as always, comments and reviews are more than welcome. :)  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Special props to **reader101w**, who managed to come up as "Review Number 300"!_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_On a separate yet related note, I've finally submitted the first of my original fan pictures over at DevArt, as well as to the blog. On DevArt, I'm also known as AmericanGecko, while the blog can be reached by clicking the homepage link on my author page here. This tale isn't quite done, but if you head over to either site you'll be able to see a preview pic of the next story in this saga.  
_


	38. Chapter 38

A/N

Chapter 38 is up and running!

- Villain plans continue to build, but someone's apparently been left out of the loop...

- Anne and Sheridan have a heart-to-heart about their children.

- A member of Team Possible gets a slight surprise.

- Kim and Ron discuss their relationship, revealing a few unexpected twists.

- Plans are set in motion, and the pace of G.V.U. continues with a few kinks in the line.

- And finally, a meeting is arranged...complete with an uninvited guest...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Bates grinned sinisterly as he went over the last notes his master had made before he'd been petrified. According to the notes on the Yono that Lord Fiske had left behind and the texts he and D.N. Amy had stolen so far, removing the Yono's curse would indeed be possible. And if things went well, it would strike a deep blow against that young man who annoyed Lord Monkey Fist so much.

"Ron Stoppable will never know what hit him," D.N. Amy said with maniacal glee. "And we'll get Monty-kins back with no trouble at all. Even that nasty Kim Possible can't stop us now."

"I agree," Bates replied nastily. "This time there will be no mistakes. Lord Monkey Fist will truly become the Ultimate Monkey Master!"

As he looked over their plans, the long-time butler to the Fiske family grinned even more evilly. If things truly went like _he_ had planned, the chosen course of action would do more than just revive Lord Monkey Fist. If successful, it would also remove many of the more annoying thorns in Monkey Fist's side, and in gratitude the lord would reward him handsomely indeed. As he glanced back at the stone-encased form of his master, he couldn't help but let his sadistic smile grow.

_Yes, soon it will be time. Soon, milord, all obstacles will be removed and you will be unstoppable!_

* * *

Given the late hour, the majority of the occupants of Go Tower during the birth of the Lipsky twins fell asleep with thirty minutes after their arrival. The notable exceptions were Motor Ed and Adrenal Lynn (who left as soon as possible afterwards), and Anne Possible and Sheridan Godfrey. The latter pair found themselves sitting up alone in the main room long after everyone else had gone to sleep.

"I can't thank you enough, Dr. Possible," Sheridan said, her face the picture of gratitude.

Anne smiled. "It was really no big. Sheila needed a doctor, and I am one. I was happy to help."

Sheridan shook her head in amused disbelief. "You know, I really can't figure that. Both you and your daughter do amazing things that help people in gigantic ways, yet you pass them off as things you do every day without a second thought. How is that possible?"

Anne shrugged. "Honestly, it's because we see the fact that we can help people means that we should whenever we can. I couldn't really tell you why beyond that."

Mrs. Godfrey cocked her head to the side. "Even if those people would be much worse off if you didn't do what you do? Or when doing so stretches you thin?"

Dr. Possible grinned and leaned back a little. "Even then. And as much as I do that, Kimmie takes wanting to help even more to heart that I do. I will admit that sometimes she tries to do too much, but for the most part she's able to handle everything. That's part of the reason James and I let her take up the missions in the first place."

"And the other?" Sheridan asked with a smile.

"Well, let me answer that by asking you something. According to what Kim has told me, you let your children start taking on the role of superheroes when most of them didn't yet have driver's licenses. Why did you decide to let them face danger when they were so young?"

Sheridan sighed, but there was a proud quality to it. "I guess because I saw how much good they could do for others."

Anne nodded. "That's the same with me and James where Kim is concerned, and it's also how Ron's parents see it. There are a lot of people who criticize us for letting our children face the dangers they do as young as they were and still are, but there are just as many who see what they're able to do and understand it without having to ask. I will admit there are times I worry about them, but I also went on a mission with her a few years ago as part of our Mother's Day hanging out, and I got to see for myself exactly how skilled she is. And based on what she's told me, Ron's just as capable of handling himself. Though to be honest, even though Kim is the one everyone is more familiar with, I sometimes wonder if Ron is a lot more competent than he lets on."

Mrs. Godfrey bobbed her head in agreement. "I've gotten that myself, just from the short time I've known them. I mean, don't get me wrong, your daughter is truly incredible in what she's able to do, but based on what I'd heard compared to what I saw, I don't think people give that young man enough credit for what he does and how he does it. I mean, I'd always heard he was just some clumsy guy who always served as the distraction. But honestly, I think what makes them great is the chemistry and teamwork between them."

Kim's mother smiled. "My thoughts exactly. You know, it was the same when they were younger, even before they started the missions. I specifically remember one summer where Ron's parents sent him to a summer camp, and you would have thought our children had been replaced by doppelgangers. I know Ron claims that to be the worst summer of his life, and apparently that it's where a lot of his fears and phobias found their roots. But I also know there are things about my daughter that happened that summer that I don't think she's ever told anyone who wasn't there to see them happen, even Ron. And one big incident I think she's blocked out somewhat, though I know it affects her just from some of the things she refuses to do."

Sheridan would have pressed for details, but the way Anne cut the sentence made her second-guess her questions. She glanced at the room that her sons had set up for the young couple, and smiled.

"Well, whatever it is, if it ever comes up I think they'll be stronger simply because they'll face it together. They really are a good team, and a good pair of kids."

Anne grinned. "That they are." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Speaking of which Sheridan, do you mind if I ask something about Sheila?"

The elder Godfrey woman smiled solemnly and glanced at the floor. "It's about if I know why Sheila turned evil, isn't it?"

Anne nodded apologetically. "If it's a personal issue I understand, but it's just something I've wondered about ever since I found out she used to be one of the good guys…you know, before she turned evil."

Sheridan sighed and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Actually, Heathcliff and I can take most of the fault for that. You know how I said we knew they could use their powers to do a lot of good, right? Well, one thing we didn't consider was that the five of them, particular Sheila, weren't yet adjusted to the fact that they weren't normal people anymore. The boys all saw it as something cool that set them apart, but Sheila was going through a phase at that point where she wanted more than anything to be just like every other girl her age. I'm actually rather ashamed we didn't see it, particularly since Sheila is our only daughter, but for some reason the two of us forgot that she still wanted to be young and accepted. Since you have Kim, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about when I say it's sometimes a little too easy to forget they're still young."

Dr. Possible smiled. "Believe me I know exactly what you mean. I know Kimmie's mature enough to handle it, but there are days I forget just how much adult responsibility we let her carry on those young shoulders. Sometimes I think that might be why she gets the way she does with the 'I know what's best' attitude, because James and I have spent so long basically telling her that her judgment is perfectly sound."

"That's it exactly. We barely gave them only enough time to learn how to harness their new abilities before we basically shoved them into the fire, not even worrying whether they were mature enough to handle the inevitable backlash. And when they did so well against the first few foes they went up against, and with the media coverage that followed, we just assumed they would be able to handle it. The boys did just fine of course, but Sheila had trouble. Then according to Hector there was an incident with her date on the night of prom her freshman year in high school, and Sheila started thinking that she'd had enough. And according to him and the other boys, she had already begun to see how easy the villains had it. Soon after that, she just got to the point that she was fed up following the rules if it only caused her grief, and according to Hector she simply up and left one day shortly after she graduated from Go City University."

Anne merely nodded as she listened, realizing that Mrs. Godfrey was probably needing to let this out.

"He said that he and the others looked for her, but by the time they found her she had turned up working for Andy as his main enforcer. And since my sons knew she had some things to work out they just decided to let her be…although they have told me that she apparently kept protecting Go City, even if only subconsciously, by never letting Andy's schemes affect here. Hector said he didn't even know the Lil' Diablos had gone evil until after Kim and Ron stopped them, and that when he examined the shipments he'd gotten they were just plain, plastic toys."

Dr. Possible nodded understandingly. "Well, I'd say that since she eventually made the choice of her children over the 'easier' as she saw it life of villainy, you and your husband must have done something right."

Sheridan smiled a bit, letting out a small yawn. "I guess so. Still, it doesn't stop me from wishing she hadn't caused so much trouble for your daughter and your family before she turned away from it."

Anne waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. She's good now, and that's all that matters, both to me and to Kim and Ron."

* * *

Sunday morning Kim and Ron were preparing to take her mother back to her hotel and then head back to Upperton themselves when they were hit with a rather interesting surprise. Knowing what they had learned the previous summer it shouldn't have shocked them, but it still came as quite a surprise when they heard the news.

"You want to _what_?" Kim replied incredulously, her voice so laced with astonishment she nearly squeaked.

Sheila smiled, holding her newborn daughter. Unlike her father only possessing the one vine, the little girl had four distinct vegetative tendrils, one sprouting from the palm side of each wrist in addition to the two growing from the back of her neck. Currently they were curled lightly around her neck and arms, giving the impression she was wearing a necklace and bracelets. In addition, the ones on the wrists were curling trustingly around Sheila's arms.

"Andy and I talked it over, and we want to name our daughter after you. We'd like her full name to be Kimberly Sheridan Lipsky."

Kim looked like she'd just been told she wasn't really a Possible. "But…I mean…why would you do that?"

Andy grinned as he held his son, who appeared to be asleep. "Kimberly, without you, Sheila and I probably aren't together. And without your quick thinking in bringing your mother here, both of our children might not be here this morning. I mean, we know it might be a little weird to name your child after someone you used to want to harm and mess with, but we both feel it's the right thing to do."

Kim was speechless, but Ron looked thoughtful.

"Question: do you really want to her name to be 'Kimberly', or are you just looking for a way to honor KP with it?"

Sheila and Andy looked at each other for a moment before she returned her gaze to him, a smile of curiosity on her face. "Why do you ask, Ronster?"

Ron reached across to rub his own shoulder. "Because if you were looking to simply honor Kim with it I have a suggestion you might like better."

Andy looked perplexed. "Nnnngg…what are you suggesting?"

Kim also looked a little confused. "Yeah, Ron, what are you getting at?"

Ron shrugged. "Just hear me out here. I know Xander got Sheila's glow, but your daughter got both the glow and the plant vines from Andy. Meaning there's a definite part of both of you in her, as well as a part of what makes you both unique. Now, you both already know I went to Yamanouchi for training in using my MMP, but what you might not know is that Sensei also had me study some of the Japanese culture. One of the things I learned while I was there was the history behind the traditional kimono. In old Japan, if a man wanted to marry a woman, he was responsible for providing the silk required to make her wedding kimono. And it was tradition for the bride to make it pretty much all on her own without any help. So in a sense they were bound to each other through the creation of the kimono. And if you called her 'Kimono', you'd be acknowledging that there's a special part of both of you in her, as well as honoring KP since the name has 'Kim' in it."

Andy didn't look entirely sure, but Sheila had a small smile developing.

"Kimono Lipsky," she said softly. "Kimono Sheridan Lipsky," she said a moment later before frowning slightly. "I admit it has a nice ring, but it doesn't sound right with 'Sheridan' as a middle name. And I really want to have her named after Momma, too."

Heathcliff grinned as he put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "There's another option to that as well. Your mother's mother was French, and you could make her middle name 'Cherie" and honor her that way. After all, 'Sherry' and 'Cherie' do sound almost alike."

Sheridan smiled brightly. "And I know Grams would have liked that."

Andy nodded. "Kimono Cherie Lipsky," he said with a grin and a warm gesture with his free hand. "I think she likes it, Sheila."

Sheila glanced down, and saw the little girl appearing to smile brightly at her, as well as a few flowers popping up on the vines. She nodded. "Then it's settled—Kimono Cherie Lipsky," she said adoringly as she kissed her daughter's forehead gently, then she laughed. "You know, I just realized that means I might end up calling her 'Kimmie' as a nickname, just like I sometimes like to call you, Princess."

Kim smiled and shrugged. "Won't bother me." Then she thought of something. "But there is one thing about this whole sitch that kind of does, if you don't mind my asking about it."

"What's that?" the mint-skinned woman replied.

Kim glanced for a second at Ron, who nodded his concurrence, before looking back at Sheila. They'd both agreed not to bring it up so soon after they brought Heathcliff and Sheridan back from Italy, and had also decided they wouldn't mention it while Andy and Sheila were focusing on the wedding and the birth of their children. But now that all those things had come to pass, the two young people knew it was time they got some answers.

"Well," Kim began, choosing her words carefully, "when Wade was doing the information gathering before we went to find your parents, he found a lot of connections between your family and Global Justice. And frankly a lot of it seemed like the type of stuff that comes straight out of a science-fiction novel or a government cover-up. And then when Carmine and his organization came after you, it seemed they were after the same thing. What exactly was it that you and your brothers were involved in when you were younger?"

Sheila started to reply, but her father put his hand on her shoulder again and shook his head. Then he spoke up in her place.

"Actually, Miss Possible, I would be the better one to ask about that, especially since I was the one acting as the liaison between not only the GCPD and Global Justice, but also between my family and those two organizations. And since this whole thing proved to me just how dangerous it is to keep family, friends, and allies out of the loop, I think it best if you know about it. The head of Global Justice at that time, Dr. Hannibal Leader, had his top people working on a project so secret that very few people outside of Global Justice knew about its existence, something he called Project M.E.R.C. Now I never learned what those letters stood for or the exact details of the project, but I do know it involved a method of strengthening Global Justice beyond what the 'regulations' the world holds them to would allow. And somehow, my wife's serum and the fact that it allowed Sheila and her brothers to survive the comet crash that gave them their powers factored greatly into Dr. Leader's plans. However, Dr. Elizabeth Director, who at the time had managed to become the Assistant Director, found some sort of ethics problem in the project, and it was subsequently terminated shortly thereafter. Or at least that's what I was told."

Kim could see the look in the older man's eyes. "But you don't believe that…do you, Mr. Godfrey?"

He shook his head. "No, Miss Possible, I don't. Hannibal Leader wasn't the type to let go of something he saw as giving an advantage to Global Justice, and from what I learned he saw this as a pretty big opportunity to give them one. So I don't think he'd give up so easily. Unfortunately, he disappeared shortly before my wife and I went into hiding, so I had no chance to confront him about it. However, I will say that with the way things are heating up again, not to mention how quickly it seems the world's law enforcement officials were willing to accept Sheila and Andy's conversion to good, it's not too far an assumption in my mind to think someone might be trying to restart the project."

Ron frowned. "But you said Dr. Director's the one who found the flaw in the project, and she's currently the leader of Global Justice. If she's the one who was originally against it on moral grounds, why would she allow that?"

Kim was about to agree when a pair of dots suddenly connected in her mind. "Mr. Godfrey, since you worked in Global Justice maybe you can tell us who they answer to. I mean, is there some higher organization, or is it just someone above Dr. Director?"

Sheila's father raised an eyebrow and frowned. "The fact that you're asking me that question unfortunately also means that you know more about their leadership structure and internal workings than I do, Miss Possible. As I said, I was just the liaison between them and the GCPD. I wish I had a better answer for you, but honestly I was just a regular police investigator who got picked to be the go-between for the GCPD commissioner and Global Justice. And I think the only reason I got the position was because of my children's abilities. Anything I know beyond that is purely what I was able to learn when I did a little digging on the side to find out exactly who I was working with. If you want any other information, you'll need to ask Dr. Director herself."

Kim nodded, the wheels in her head spinning furiously as she tried to piece the parts of the puzzle together. Again, it was all coming back to Dr. Director and information the Global Justice leader had apparently withheld from Team Possible for some reason.

Anne glanced at her watch. "Well, I hate to say it, but we really need to get going. James and I have a rather long drive back to Middleton, and I'm sure Kim and Ron need to get back to school so they can get some sleep before classes tomorrow."

Sheila nodded, and handed Kimono to her mother so she could hug the two teens. The hug was similar to the one she'd given Kim while transformed into Miss Go, as were the words.

"Thanks, you two, for everything. You're the best."

Kim and Ron smiled, and said the exact same thing at the exact same moment. "No big."

Anne immediately grinned. "Jinx! You two owe me a grandchild."

Kim felt her cheeks quickly flame up. "Mom!"

Her mother merely smiled. "What? We just helped bring two new lives into the world, so I'm entitled to be thinking that direction."

"She's got you there, KP," Ron added with a goofy grin.

Kim merely shook her head as a large chorus of laughter accompanied the goodbyes that saw the three climbing into the Sloth and streaking off through the air back towards Go City. As she watched them go, Sheila smiled and glanced back at Andy, who was now holding both twins. She grinned, but at the same time felt an odd numbing pain in her stomach. She brushed it off as being on her feet so soon after having just given birth to the twins, but she still couldn't ignore just how much it actually hurt…

* * *

Soon after they landed and Kim's mother climbed out, Kim drove the Sloth the few blocks to the Go City Plaza. She glanced around the suite as she and Ron packed, and felt a little bit…envious that the two of them hadn't really been able to take advantage of having such a nice hotel room all to themselves. It wasn't the honeymoon suite, but it was still a room where the needs and wants of two people in love had been taken in to consideration. Ron was apparently thinking along the same lines, evidenced by the comment he made less than five seconds after the thoughts entered her mind.

"Sorry we didn't get to enjoy the room, KP," he said as he planted a kiss on her cheek when he passed by while taking his clothes and toiletries to his suitcase.

She sighed as she folded up her own laundry and placed it in her own suitcase. "Ronnie, I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you. After all, you were the one who spent the extra money to get us the Couple's Suite."

She heard Ron chuckle a bit, and before she could react he had walked up behind her, lightly tugging the neck of her shirt to the side so he could kiss her on the bare skin of the curve where her neck met her shoulder. Kim wasn't expecting the rush that brought, and as a result felt her knees go a little weak. The young man pulled back a little as she turned around slowly, smiling as his arms wrapped lovingly around her waist.

"You know, it's only 9:00, and check-out isn't till 11:00. We could always spend a little more time here."

Kim smiled, and replied with a kiss to his lips. "And just what were you thinking of doing for those two hours, Bad Boy?" she said sultrily as her arms went around his neck.

Ron's smile got decidedly lopsided, and he leaned over to kiss the bare flesh of her other shoulder where it met her neck. "Didn't really have a plan," he breathed huskily, his warm breath enhancing the kiss he'd just given her there. "Just felt like maybe turning you on a bit."

"Only a bit?" she challenged, well aware that she was definitely liking what he was doing more than a bit. "And what about you?"

Ron surprised her slightly as he picked her up and placed her gently on the bed. Then he kissed her gently but forcibly, and Kim felt herself naturally letting him take the lead. She didn't know where this "take-charge" Ron had come from, but she was quickly discovering she liked him. However, she still wanted an answer to her question.

"Seriously, Ron, what about you?" she asked again when he pulled back, not moving her hands from the position he'd pinned them in.

"KP," he said gently as he lay down next to her and ran his fingers softly against her cheek, "you're the one who matters here."

For some reason she couldn't explain, that broke the mood for Kim.

"Ron, it's not all about me," she replied with a frown before she sat up and glared forward. "And I don't want to do this kind of thing if I'm the only one having fun. And don't feed me that line about you enjoying the idea of me having a good time. You're just as important as I am when it comes to this sitch, you know."

"Kim," he began, but she cut him off.

"No, Ron. Look, I may be an Alpha-type, but that doesn't mean I'm selfish about stuff like this. I want a partner, not a servant. And that means that if we do something like this I want us both to enjoy it."

"But," he started; however she interrupted again.

"Look, do you want to know why I don't want that? It's because that's how that…that _thing_ treated me. Part of the reason I got so caught up in that whole sitch was because _it_ treated me like a complete princess, basically doing anything I could have wanted and acting like how I thought the perfect boyfriend should before I really knew anything about a real relationship. And that's what you're doing—you're acting like _him_."

Ron stood up with a hurt anger. "Hey, that's too far, Kim! I'm not him. I'm not…_Erik_!"

The speaking of the name they had both agreed to never say immediately brought to the forefront of Kim's mind just what she was saying and rubbed her nose in exactly what she was doing by bringing him up.

"Ron…I'm…I'm sorry," she said as she turned back towards him. "I…I didn't mean it like that."

She slid towards him on the bed, coming right up to the edge and reaching out her hand for his, but he countered with a step back that put him just out of her reach.

"Look Kim, you have to understand something," the young man replied as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "something I thought you knew by now. When it comes to us, I'm always going to see you as the more important here no matter what we're doing. Whether that's on missions or when it comes to stuff like this, I care more about what happens to you than what happens to me. It's just how I've always seen us."

The red-head slouched for a moment before looking up and staring at him solemnly. "Ron, I know that. But I'm also completely serious when I say I want a partner here. When it comes to the rest of our relationship, if you want to let me lead, I won't argue it because I can accept that's how you see us. But here is where I _don't_ want all the control. In fact, sometimes I know I'm going to want you to take complete control, when I want to be seduced and romanced without getting any say-so in how it's pulled off."

Ron suddenly picked up a look she didn't expect: complete confusion. "What are you saying, KP?"

His return to using her nickname made Kim smile a bit. "I'll tell you, but first you have to come here and sit with me on the bed."

Her fiancé seemed hesitant for a second, but he complied, resting his back against the headboard. Kim smiled when he did that, and changed her original plan. Instead of sitting next to him and leaning on his shoulder, she snuggled up under the crook of his arm, and was pleased when said arm curled around her like it always had a habit of doing.

"Ron, do you remember what I told you just after you changed me back from Lady Kigo last summer?"

"Umm…no…," he replied, nervousness creeping into his voice as his breathing went slightly wheezy.

Kim was about to reply when she noticed him shifting a bit, the sudden look on his face and the fact he wouldn't look her in the eye making it very apparent he most definitely _did_ remember what she'd told him. Kim grinned a little bit, and nudged him playfully.

"Are you _sure_ about that?" she teased flirtingly before leaning up to nip him lightly on the ear.

"Whoa, dirty move!" he complained as he nearly jumped out of his skin, but he still stayed cuddled with her.

"Ronnie," she pushed, although she didn't so much say it as breathe it into his ear.

"Okay, _okay_! I do remember!" he said nervously, his voice about an octave above where it should have been.

Kim giggled a bit at his reaction. "What did I tell you?" she said with a knowing look as she slid back down to her cuddling position.

Ron took a deep breath, and when he spoke again his voice was back to its normal range…although the excitability remained. "You told me to keep the handcuffs because Kigo wasn't lying when she said you got turned on a bit by that! But I just thought you were still feeling the effects of her leaving your system, kind of like I was a little dizzy after each time I came back from being Zorpox."

Kim grinned seductively. "Well, I wasn't. And to be honest, I think my alter ego would actually really hate the idea if someone actually pulled it on her. Point is I've had dreams about stuff like that. Not with any of our villains, mind you, but…well…the _curiosity_ is still there. I mean, let's face it: I'm probably the ferociously least likely female on the planet to be the so-called 'damsel in distress'. And probably because of that, sometimes I have…you know…wondered…"

She trailed off, and Ron waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he glanced down, and noticed that she was blushing rather brightly. Looking at Kim right now, he found himself thinking back to the Aurora Orchid incident, and became very grateful that his love wasn't currently dosed with the serum Andy had created as Dr. Drakken. The young man also realized that she had most likely just told him something that no one else was ever likely to hear. Unfortunately, he still didn't know how to respond to the admonition.

"So…umm…," he began slowly, "What…_exactly_…are you…umm…referring to?"

Kim sighed, and started drawing a circle on a random point in his shirt where it touched his stomach. Just from the way she was doing it, he could tell it was more of a "do this so I'm not just sitting here doing nothing" type of move and not an attempt at a flirt. So he said nothing and waited patiently for her to find and form her answer.

"Honestly, Ron, I don't really know how to explain it…mainly because I don't have it sorted out myself yet. I'm just saying that sometimes I'd rather _not_ lead or be the focus of attention in a sitch like this. Sometimes I'd rather it be about you being in charge."

Ron grinned as an oddity and a realization hit him, and although he tried not to, he couldn't help the laugh that escaped. However, he did do his absolute best to keep it short and light. Regardless, Kim still hit him with a not-amused glare.

"I don't see what's so funny, Ron," she said, the tweak entering her voice as one eyebrow rose higher than the other.

"Us," was his simple reply. "We really are a pair, aren't we?"

"This isn't something to laugh about, Ronald Stoppable," Kim replied, her taking-offense evident. "I'm sitting here telling you something intimate about myself, and you've got the nerve to start making jokes about it."

"Not joking, KP," he said with a trademark goofy grin. "Just listen, okay? You said you wanted 'no control', right? Well, what if that comes in the form of me _not_ letting you do anything for me and instead making you focus solely on what I'm _doing_ to you. If I _force_ you to just lay there and enjoy yourself?"

"Ron, that…that makes no…" she tried to argue before it sunk in just what he was saying. "So in other words you're telling me that when you make this be about me you're taking charge by putting me in charge?"

Ron scratched his head. "Maybe…I guess so," he fumbled unsurely. "To tell the truth, KP, that sounded a lot better in my head before I said it. It made a lot more sense, too."

The red-head giggled and leaned up to kiss him. "Made perfect sense to me," she replied softly.

The kiss would have lasted longer (and probably led to more) if a knock hadn't come at the door at that moment.

"Housekeeping," a voice called sweetly.

Kim and Ron glanced at the clock on the nightstand next to the side of the bed Ron had used, which strangely still read 9:00 AM. Confused, Kim reached over to her side and grabbed her Kimmunicator, which had been facing away from them. Turning it over, she sighed when she read the time to actually be 10:55 AM.

"Looks like we have to put this on hold," she said with a sigh, then let out a grin as an idea hit her. "How about after dinner this Wednesday?"

Ron quirked an eyebrow. "Uhh, KP, don't you think this would be better served if we picked up later tonight?"

Kim smirked. "Maybe, but I'd rather save some of my Ronshine for the actual Valentine's Day. Plus, I have a feeling there might be more of a chance for some actual romance then."

"Boo Yeah," he replied.

* * *

Atop Mt. Yamanouchi, things were feeling oddly peaceful compared to the past few months, and it had Sensei feeling a bit on edge. For a man who strove to constantly remain in a state of serenity even during the fiercest of battles, it was an uncomfortable mood to be in. And as luck would have it, the students of the Yamanouchi School were taking notice…or at least two of them were.

"Master Sensei, you have many leaves on your pond lately," Hirotaka said with a slight frown. "Is something troubling you?"

The old master glanced at his top male student. "Observant as always, Hirotaka," he said with a smile, as proud of the philosophical phrasing as he was with the young man's powers of perception.

"That is one of the points of these private sessions, is it not?" the shinobi student replied. "To observe all things around me, including the one instructing me? And I am not the only one who has noticed the change, for Yori has mentioned that she has as well when you have visited her in her quarters while she recovers."

Sensei nodded. "Yes, and in that respect the two of you are most adept pupils. And to answer your question, yes, there is something troubling me. Prior to the attack in which Yori was injured, the students assigned to night guard were reporting at least one sighting of monkey ninjas each week. And yet since her battle, not once have they returned. The fierce winds off the mountains have grown suddenly silent though the storm continues to build."

Hirotaka smiled. "But that is a good thing, is it not, Master Sensei? Howling winds that have been silenced usually mean that the storm no longer approaches."

The leader of the Yamanouchi shook his head slowly, stroking his beard in thought. "Perhaps. It may also mean that the scout who warns the camp of danger has been deceived. Either way, I believe it is time for the reeds to be bound more tightly together."

The young shinobi nodded and rose, bowing as he did so. "I will make the arrangements for my trip to Colorado."

Again, Sensei shook his head. "Not yet, my student. In dark times, _all_ stones are needed if the wall is to repel the approaching army."

Hirotaka's grin seemed to nearly trip in size. "You wish that I wait for Yori to be fully healed so that she may accompany me?"

Sensei smiled at the young man's reaction as he closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes. Though I think that wait may be shorter than either of us suspect. However, I must caution the both of you: remember your training and the primary rules of the lifestyle of the ninja. The eyes of the wolves watch much more closely now, hoping for the opening to begin their feast."

The young man nodded and bowed again. "Yes, Sensei. We will move with silence and swiftness as always. No one will know we are there."

As Hirotaka departed, Sensei could not help the frown that creased his lips. _I wish I could believe that, my student. However, this is a test both you and Yori must endure so that you may fully understand that which you will one day face. I only hope the trial does not prove too difficult for the two of you._

* * *

Despite their best laid plans, Kim and Ron found their return to the G.V.U. campus to be anything but accommodating after their short little "vacation" in Go City for Sheila and Andy's wedding. From the word go, they were thrust back into the hectic schedules that their second semesters at the university had quickly become. In reality, they barely had time for a date on Valentines (although neither would admit that to the other despite both of them knowing it), and the weekends were chock full to the brim as well.

And the strange thing was that it wasn't even the missions that were filling up their time. A schedule that was full because of the work Team Possible did was something the two of them could easily handle simply because they'd been doing it for years and were used to it. But an agenda that was crammed because of normal life and scholastic demands wasn't something they were accustomed to. What with the papers Hyde continued to assign in their Honors Aspects of Government class ("I can see why you didn't like him, KP," Ron quipped after three straight classes ended in essay assignments), the practices for the talent show, and preparing for their mid-terms, things were becoming very chaotic. Kim and Ron had actually gotten so busy that even eating all three meals together had become a rare occurrence, even with the planned off-time around lunch they'd worked into both their schedules. However, they did still make sure they spent at least a few hours every evening together…even if that time was spent in mostly relative silence as they worked on various papers and homework.

It was made a bit easier since Ron seemed in slightly better spirits now than he had before the trip, and Kim suspected it was because something had happened while they were rescuing Sheila. Although they hadn't discussed it much in depth yet, she had a pretty good feeling he'd been able to access his MMP a bit during the fight with the Risattis, particularly since his "sour mood Wednesdays" had become much less severe. He still seemed bugged on those mornings, but at least he wasn't stewing over it as much. And since she'd revealed she knew about his "secret training" on the trip to Go City, Ron also wasn't sneaking around about it anymore, even letting her know that's where he was heading on nights she didn't have to be at a game cheering…though he still insisted on doing it alone without her help, which irked her a little bit.

For her part, Kim was also faced with the final games for the Guardian basketball team. The team was truly terrible, having won no more than twelve games so far all season, and it was a foregone conclusion the G.V.U. hoops team would not be participating in any sort of March Madness or post-season tournament. However that didn't change the fact that the season wasn't quite over yet, or the fact that the cheer squad had to remain peppy even in the face of the horrible record. Not to mention that Coach Williams was starting to narrow down the list of who would be returning to the squad the following year.

"But I thought once you were on the team you were on it till you graduated?" Kim remarked after practice one day when Emily Quartermaine informed her of the sitch while they headed into the locker room.

Emily shook her head. "That may have been the case in high school, but there you're guaranteed to lose a few every year to graduation. In college, it's possible for someone to be on the team for five full years before they become ineligible. And since there're a limited number of spots and we have to have room for incoming freshmen and transfers next year, everyone's up for the chopping block. Doesn't mean we have to try-out again, but we do have to show we can still do the moves. Even Nina and me have to prove we still have what it takes."

"But you're the Captains, Q," the red-head remarked as she started changing. "Doesn't that like lock you in no matter what?"

The brunette junior fixed her with a serious gaze. "Just because we were Captain and Co-Captain this year, that doesn't mean we will be next year. Every junior, senior, and fifth-year senior is eligible for the position every spring. Coach says she does these types of things to keep us on our toes—she says she doesn't want any of us getting complacent and slacking off."

Kim frowned as she slipped her shirt on. It wasn't that she hadn't considered the possibility, but the Mad Dog squad had been pretty much the same the whole way through high school, with only one or two changes taking place in four years. And it went even farther back than that if one considered that her high school squad had been pretty much identical to her junior high one. So naturally she had assumed that life on a collegiate cheer squad would operate in much the same way. But the realization that she'd have to fight for her spot every year brought worry to her mind.

And Bricin's follow-up comment didn't help matters, either. "You know, only those who are _truly_ committed to the squad will be let back on next year."

"Wait, does that mean I'm hurting my chances by going on my missions?"

Nina, who had been listening in as she dressed a few lockers away, glared at the junior red-head before smiling at Kim. "Don't listen to her, Kim. To tell the truth, if that turned out to be why you got cut I think there would be an uproar among not only the team and the student body but a good majority of the world as well. I'm not saying you don't have to prove yourself like the rest of us, but to be honest you probably have the least probability of any of us of being cut."

Still, Kim didn't feel exactly great about the situation. For one, she almost felt like she was receiving special treatment because of what she and Ron did, something she had lately begun feeling a little uncomfortable with for reasons she couldn't explain. And she had also started wondering if the whole mess were really worth it, especially considering that the mission work had been relatively slow the past year as the world took care of what left of the major clean-up from the Lorwardians. And what would she do if she got called for an extended mission that made her choose between it and her school-related extracurricular activities? Her schedule was already full with everything going on, not to mention the talent show practices with Monique. At one point she'd been confident what her choice would be if the sitch came up, but now the answers were becoming hazy and uncertain.

Speaking of the talent show, the red-head was actually rather surprised how well things were progressing. Despite the initial awk-weirdness between her and her BFF the first few rehearsals as a result of the WEE attack and the backlash that followed, the act was now coming together unexpectedly well. Kim suspected that had a lot to do with their song choice, and the fact that Monique was putting a lot of her bad experience with Viktor into the blues number. Indeed, the young woman's harmonica work was starting to sizzle something fierce.

"Wow, Monique," Kim remarked after one particularly intense and productive session. "You weren't kidding when you said you knew how to play that thing. You've got some majorly ferocious talent."

Monique smiled proudly as she cleaned the instrument. "Told you I wasn't bluffing. And WAY, girl? Your singing is progressing pretty well, too. You're even knocking the high notes out of the park."

Kim grinned. "What can I say? Maybe I just have a voice that's more attuned to rock music with a bluesy twist than it was to pop. Speaking of which, how are the costumes coming along?"

The African-American beauty let out a glowing smile. "Perfect. Already got the hats finished, and the suits should be ready within a week or two," she said as she pulled a pair of small black fedoras out of her bag and spun one Frisbee-style towards her BFF. "Here, try it on. Want to make sure I included enough give to accommodate that red mane of yours."

The young woman smiled as she perched it snugly on top of her head at a 'look cool' angle. "Perfect fit," she replied, pulling out the sunglasses they'd already purchased and sliding them on. "What do you think?" she said, sliding an index finger on the underside of the brim.

"Looking _fine _and_ sexy_, girl," Monique replied with an appreciative glance at the red-head. "So, any clue what Ron and his friends have been working on?"

Kim shook her head as she removed the hat and shades. "Nope. All I know is he had to make a trip to Middleton by himself over it. Something about getting clarification about whether or not something was being done right. If you ask me, it's totally weird how secretive he's being. Won't even tell me who he's working with on the thing. Just keeps saying he thinks I'll laugh so hard I cry when I see it."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Ron's smile was a thousand miles wide as he, Eli Zenkman, and the others in the group worked on their act. Despite everything they were doing, they were actually able to get through the entire routine without laughing now. And the costumes were nearly finished, even the more complex ones. All they were doing now was putting the final touches on the number and polishing what they'd already set up. Even Rufus's part (a crucial element) was starting to look professional.

"So think Kim's got any idea what we're up to?" Eli remarked as they took a break after the first half of a hard-work session.

Ron grinned. "I think the only thing she knows is that we're doing a song of some sort. And maybe the fact that you're in on it. Beyond that, I don't think she suspects anything out of the ordinary."

The Jewish senior smiled. "And you checked to make sure we're okay doing some of this stuff?"

"Yes, we're fine," the blonde replied with a laugh. "He even said he was tempted to come see us perform. Said he thought the routine sounded pretty funny."

"Uh huh, funny," remarked Rufus with a buck-toothed grin.

"So, think we'll win?" Ron said after a bit of a pause.

Eli shrugged. "I don't know. From what you've told me, Kim and Monique could be some serious competition, especially if Monique's as good at the harmonica as you say she is."

"Yeah, she is pretty badical," the young man agreed. "Can't believe she never did anything with it back at Middleton. Of course, knowing her, she probably just didn't want the extra attention. I mean, she likes being popular but she didn't exactly seek it out—it kind of just fell in her lap without her even trying."

His friend was about to reply when one of the girls in the act spoke up. "Hey, Eli, Ron, we're about ready to go again."

"Ready, buddy?" Ron said as he held out his hand for Rufus to climb on.

"Boo Yeah," exclaimed the mole rat, his fist punching in the air while his custom-sized hat and outfit bobbed a bit.

* * *

Jean Stoppable frowned as she again cleaned the dead plants out of her garden on a weekend morning. The most recent frosts shouldn't have harmed her plants, at least not with the precautions she had taken. But yet again something had killed them. What really confused her was that some looked like they had been trampled instead of frozen to death, which should have been impossible. Only she, Gene and Hana had been out in the back yard recently, and she knew that none of the members of her family were responsible for the deed. And with the back door getting stuck again, even those instances had become rarer. Sighing, she stood up, wiping her hands on her gardening apron. Heading towards the house, she tried the back door, but once again found it jammed shut and was unable to open it. With another sigh she traipsed around to the front of the house, entering through the front door.

"Honey, the back door's stuck again," she called. "I think we need to call the repairman."

Gene's voice echoed from his home office. "Already did, Jeanette. Robert Caraway said it'd be at least two weeks before he can get out here, and then another few once he's measured for the new door."

Jean Stoppable shook her head in resignation. She knew there were other repairmen who could easily fix the door within a much shorter time-span, but her husband had decided some time back that only Mr. Caraway would fix things around their house without overcharging them for unnecessary work. And if there was one thing she had learned about Gene Stoppable in twenty-three years of marriage, it was that once the man found a repairman he liked that didn't overcharge him he absolutely refused to use anyone else. It was one of the things she'd grown accustomed to, and among the personality quirks her husband had that she'd decided the first year they were married to love him in spite of.

As she stood at the kitchen sink washing the dirt off her hands, she glanced out the window at the garden, the mystery of the trampled plants still buzzing in her mind. If she hadn't been so focused on that, she might have noticed the figures moving a good ten yards back in the woods behind the backyard. And even if in her nearsightedness she missed the black outfits of the smaller figures, she would have been hard pressed to miss the orange fur of their six-armed companions.

* * *

The rest of February came and went with relatively little incident. Well, relatively little compared to the first couple of weeks. In fact, the only thing of note was that Dr. Hyde seemed hell-bent on having them write enough pages to give their large textbooks a run for the money.

"Urgh, I can't believe we have _another_ paper from that demon," Kim complained one afternoon. "I mean, at this rate we'll have enough to make our own textbooks before the end of the term."

"Hey, at least this one only has to be two pages," Ron reminded her with a half-smile. "My brain's still stretched from that ten-pager he gave us last week on the comparative differences between the U.S. Congress and the English Parliament."

"True enough, I guess," she replied as she shifted her book bag over to her other shoulder. "Still, I'd say it's a good thing we're taking him now while the missions are still relatively slow."

The fact that the Team Possible website hadn't been getting a steady stream of hits since the Lorwardian invasion had been something that initially had bugged the pair, but now that college was proving to be a major time-consumer they weren't as eager to voice complaints over the sitch. In fact, Kim had a sneaking suspicion that if things had been like they were in high school she might have been asking Wade for a break every now and then. However it was still a bit unnerving, particularly when Wade called that evening while they were walking from dinner at Sentinel Station back to Patriot Towers with an update on what he'd found so far regarding Global Justice's secretive research into the teens and their exploits.

"Wade, are you sure about that sitch?" Kim asked incredulously.

"Positive, Kim," he answered from her Kimmunicator. "According to what I've been able to dig up, they've been diverting practically everything our way the past few months while they work on various rebuilding projects. They even had one problem they tried to get directed straight to Joss somehow, but they couldn't figure out a way to do it without the rest of us getting wind of it."

"That's low," Ron replied. "I mean, no offense to Joss, but Betty knows we're still basically training her, right?"

Wade shook his head. "That's just it—I don't think Dr. Director is the one who tried to cut the two of you out of the loop. Judging from the request's origin, the sender was most definitely someone who is associated with Global Justice. Yet when I contacted Betty about it she said she had no knowledge of the situation. And she looked completely surprised when I mentioned that whoever it was had tried to contact Joss directly, not to mention she looked like she was about to get very angry at someone."

Kim frowned as she sat on a bench near the middle of campus to think. "I still don't like it, Wade. Either she's been lying to us for years and is continuing to do so, or there's something happening in Global Justice that's shaking up the power structure. I mean, first it was Gerhardt and his attempted takeover, then finding out there's someone above her, and followed by apparent secret projects that Dr. Director's supposedly against. Now you're telling us that someone tried to circumvent her authority and she had no knowledge of it?"

"Sorry, Kim, but it appears so," the tech genius replied with a rub of his neck. "Also, I've noticed a lot of recent file shifting all across their systems, like they know I've been snooping around and are trying to make sure I don't find certain things. Only reason I've gotten some of the intelligence I have is because I can use residual file trails to access some of what used to be there."

The red-head nodded. "And again I thought I could do anything. Well, as much as I don't like it, this sitch is getting way too uncomfortable to stop digging now. Keep looking Wade, and if you find anything you think we need to know make sure you get the information to us as soon as possible."

"Will do, Kim," he replied, but then he looked as if he'd suddenly remembered something. "By the way, thought you might like to know that Sensei contacted me earlier today. He said that there haven't been any more attacks on the Yamanouchi School since the one where Yori was injured, and also he's sending her and Hirotaka to meet with you guys for a few days. Said something about strengthening the reeds, whatever that means."

Ron smiled. "He's just saying that we need to make sure we're all on the same page in case it all goes down soon. Although I do wonder why he's sending them here if they're supposed to be guarding him. And couldn't they contact us on the Kimmunicators we gave them?"

The tech genius shrugged. "I mentioned that, but Sensei said he would feel more comfortable if the meeting were face-to-face."

Kim smiled. "Okay, we'll be looking for them. Speaking of which, any trace of Bates and D.N. Amy lately?"

Wade rubbed the back of his neck a bit. "Not for a while now. And it worries me since we're getting close to their second window—less than a month to go."

Ron frowned, kicking a rock harder than he meant to so that it sailed several feet. "Gah, this is ridiculous!" he complained. "How are we supposed to stop them if we can't find them?"

Kim looked at him sympathetically. "Ron, I told you we'll stop them, and we will."

The young man sighed in frustration. "But KP, what if we can't? I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't exactly use the MMP whenever I want. And if we don't stop them, I'm going to have to go up against Yono Monkey Fist."

The red-head stood up and forced him to look at her. "Ron, listen to me. Every time you've needed to, you've come through—you always find a way to step up when a situation calls for it. And if it comes down to fighting a Yono-powered Monkey Fist, I know you'll be able to handle it."

Ron smiled a little, but it was a small one. "I don't know, KP. I mean, what if I can't? What if I'm not able to, and I end up losing Rufus and Sensei? And Hana too if you and Wade are right about her being involved? Or worse, what if I lose you because I don't have what it takes?"

Kim shook her head a little bit before she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. It wasn't super-hot or passionate, but that wasn't her intention. When she pulled back, there was a smile on her face that slowly spread to his.

"Ron, you're not going to lose me. Remember, I'm right here with you, and we're going to face this together. We will find a way to beat this. With the two of us working together, there's nothing we can't beat."

Wade's voice came over the Kimmunicator. "And don't forget you've got me and Joss as well. If we can help it, Bates and D.N. Amy won't even get close to bringing Monkey Fist back."

"And do not forget about us, either, Stoppable-san," called a voice that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Huh?" Kim called, recognizing the voice but not seeing the young woman it belonged to.

At that moment, a pair of hooded figures detached themselves from the shadows of a nearby building. Kim and Ron both turned, slightly surprised. However, their attention was soon drawn to the slight limp one of the two moved with. The figure removed her hood, revealing the familiar short black hair and red hair ribbon.

"Yori!" exclaimed Ron, embracing her. "We thought you wouldn't be getting here for a few more days."

The kunoichi grinned, and looked at him questioningly. "You and I were able to get from the Amazon rain forest to a zoo in Arizona in less than two hours, and yet you are surprised we could get here from the Yamanouchi School in less than six?"

"Oh, right," the blonde replied. "I forgot about the, umm, secret ninja tickets."

Kim smiled. "How is the leg, Yori?"

"It is better, thank you" Yori replied. "And I have learned much from the encounter."

"She certainly has," added Hirotaka as he removed his hood. "My 'Lily of the Fields' has grown stronger and will not lose next time."

"Wait, 'Lily of the Fields'?" Kim replied before it dawned on her. "Hey, are you two together now?"

The Japanese young man let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alas, she has not yet agreed to such a union," he replied with an even more exaggerated arm motion that wrapped around Kim's shoulders.

"Because you always pick the most inappropriate times to ask me, Hiro-san," Yori countered with a sigh of her own, although both Kim and Ron saw the slight smile ticking at the corner of the kunoichi's mouth that she was clearly wanting to let out. "Perhaps you should take lessons from Stoppable-san on the appropriate moments for romantic admissions."

As she said this, she added a friendly arm around Ron's waist. Had it happened any sooner than that moment, and had Kim not been sure it was done only in friendship, it might have worried her a bit. However, it was clear to the red-head from the look on the Japanese young woman's face that her focus had shifted from Ron to the young man who now had his arm around Kim's shoulders. As she smiled at them, she took notice of a cricket chirping somewhere in the distance…never even considering that it was still too cold and early in the year for the insects to be out yet.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

About fifteen yards away a camera was poking out of the bushes, the four friends reflected in its lens. As he continued snapping pictures, Willie "the Weasel" Finkman couldn't believe his luck. Not only had he forced Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable to admit their engagement, but now after a few months of a dry spell from the pair he had obtained even more proof that they weren't being truthful about their relationship. Even better than that, it looked like they weren't even as committed to each other as they claimed…especially if the young Japanese man with his arm around Possible and the young Japanese woman with her arm around Stoppable were any indication. From the way the young people were laughing, Willie was sure the four had arranged for a little "nighttime rendezvous"…maybe they were even sleeping together!

"Oh, boy," the sleazy reporter chuckled softly to himself as he continued to hold the button on the camera, making sure to get shots of only Possible and the Japanese young man with his arm draped around her shoulders, as well as ones of only Stoppable and the young woman he was getting cozy with. "Secret romantic meetings with foreign relations. Just wait till my viewers get a load of this juicy little tidbit! My ratings are gonna soar!"

* * *

_a/n_

_Sorry about the break between updates, but as some of you may or may not have been aware I was recently in a pretty bad snowboarding accident a couple weeks ago. Luckily I managed to walk away with only a messed up shoulder and some slight ligament damage, but being in a sling for ten days isn't really conducive to typing. But now I'm out of that and doing much better._

_Also, I worried a bit about that hotel scene, as it's very easy to take someone out of character when that subject is broached. However, I think I may have succeeded in keeping Kim and Ron in character for that._

_Special thanks must also be given out to a pair of author's here on this site. To **captainkodak1**, who originally penned Anne's jinx line (hope it was okay for me to use that, Cap), and who also gave me the idea for Willie "the Weasel"'s return. And to **G-Go**, who came up with the naming of Kimono Lipsky and the story behind it, and graciously allowed me to name my character that as well. *raises glass* You guys both rock in stereo!_

_In addition, I want to pass out thanks to all my readers. Thanks to you, this story has crossed the 22k hit mark while **Changes** recently passed the 17k mark, something I never expected in a million years. *huge bow* THANK YOU!_

_And as always, comments and reviews are more than welcome...they're highly appreciated. :)_

_+~+KP+~+KP+~+KP+~+KP+~+_

_Speaking of **G-Go**, he finally published the long awaited conclusion to **Indiana Jones and the Simian Odyssey**, the third installment in his **Reunion** series. Go check it out to see another true literary KP master at work. _


	39. Chapter 39

A/N

Chapter 39 is up and running!

- Kim, Ron, and their friends settle in for the night, all the while talking about each other. But before they can get cozy, an old thorn comes back into their lives.

- Plans are made to counteract what's been said, but care must be taken or else lives may be in danger.

- The girls enjoy a day out, while the guys face the thorn head on.

- And finally the partnership between allies may be deteriorating, but is it because of differing views? Or is someone finally losing it?

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

About fifteen yards away a camera was poking out of the bushes, the four friends reflected in its lens. As he continued snapping pictures, Willie "the Weasel" Finkman couldn't believe his luck. Not only had he forced Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable to admit their engagement, but now after a few months of a dry spell from the pair he had obtained even more proof that they weren't being truthful about their relationship. Even better than that, it looked like they weren't even as committed to each other as they claimed…especially if the young Japanese man with his arm around Possible and the young Japanese woman with her arm around Stoppable were any indication. From the way the young people were laughing, Willie was sure the four had arranged for a little "nighttime rendezvous"…maybe they were even sleeping together!

"Oh, boy," the sleazy reporter chuckled softly to himself as he continued to hold the button on the camera, making sure to get shots of only Possible and the Japanese young man with his arm draped around her shoulders, as well as ones of only Stoppable and the young woman he was getting cozy with. "Secret romantic meetings with foreign relations. Just wait till my viewers get a load of this juicy little tidbit! My ratings are gonna soar!"

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"So," Kim said with a smile, "have you two got a place to stay tonight?"

Yori smiled and nodded. "Yes, we have set up a camp in the woods just off of the campus."

Ron immediately shook his head. "Ah, that won't do. Hey, why don't you stay in our rooms while you're here?"

Kim shook her head, placing her hand on her love's shoulder. "Ron, I agree that we need to offer the hospitality, but don't forget that we need to consider Felix and Monique on this. I mean, I don't think they'd say no, but I don't want to take advantage of them either."

Hirotaka nodded. "We appreciate the thought. However, Yori-chan and I must remain as anonymous as possible while we are here. Sensei specifically warned us that there will be those who could see us and draw their own conclusions."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, we've already been dealing with that. Although lately it's been kind of quiet, thankfully. Still, can't you come in for a short while at least?"

Yori smiled and bowed. "It would be our honor."

Once inside, it turned out that Felix and Monique were actually a little offended that Kim had thought they'd be uncomfortable with the sitch.

"Seriously, girl, it's PFWM. I mean, I have met them both before."

"She's right, Kim," Felix added as he shook hands with the pair of ninja. "And while I've only met Hirotaka, I wouldn't mind one bit either."

However, Yori looked puzzled. "Umm…what is this 'PFWM'?"

Ron grinned. "Monique-speak. Trust me, she uses it a lot. Sometimes it's best to just ignore it."

Monique rolled her eyes and popped him on the shoulder. "It is _not_ best to just ignore it," she said before turning to the kunoichi with a smile. "It's just an acronym that means 'Perfectly Fine With Me'. I started talking like that because my best friend when I was younger used acronyms in a lot of her speech. Kind of just picked it up from there and kept going with it."

Hirotaka smiled. "Yes, I remember the use of the acronyms. As I remember some of them were quite…_alluring_."

Yori shot him a sideways glance. "I have heard of the 'Monique-speak' from both Possible-chan and Stoppable-san. And I am sorry—I did not mean to offend."

The African-American beauty shook her head. "Don't worry about it. If you ever need translation, just ask. But back to the matter at hand, I'd have no problem with Yori staying with us here in our Unit."

"And Hirotaka can definitely stay in ours," Felix added with a nod as he held up a high-five gesture. "After all, I want to see if he's improved his zombie-bashing skills."

The shinobi met the gesture with a confident smirk. "I can only hope that your skills have improved more than mine in our time apart, Felix-san, or else it will be my honor to humble you once more."

"Bring it, Sushi-man," the young man challenged with a smile.

Kim shrugged her agreement. "Well, if it's okay with you guys I have no problem with it. I just didn't want to impose on you."

Monique grinned. "Anybody else, I might be a tiny bit tempted to maybe let you get away with calling it that. But right now I'd like to get the dish from Yori about some of the gossip she's got on certain blondes."

"Aww, man," griped Ron with a good-natured grimace.

* * *

A few hours later, the three girls were sitting up in Kim and Monique's Unit, all of them already dressed for the night and each holding a small pint of ice cream.

"So, Yori, what exactly is the sitch between you and Hirotaka?" Kim asked with a smile as she spooned a bite out of her carton.

The kunoichi sighed a bit, but both the others could tell it contained a bit of longing in it. "Hiro-san is, how you would say, the 'resident hottie' of Yamanouchi, and often that status causes him to be somewhat arrogant in how he acts. Many times he tries to be too…'suave' I believe is the word you would use."

Monique grinned. "Sounds like he hasn't changed much since he was here, then. Still a STLM—a Smooth-Talkin' Ladies Man."

"What do you refer to?" Yori replied, her voice slightly muffled and a quizzical look on her face as her spoon paused halfway coming out of her mouth.

"She just means that it sounds like we got the real Hirotaka while he was here," Kim replied with a smile. "Not that he didn't have at least some right to be acting like that."

At Yori's continuing puzzled look, Kim giggled and continued.

"Take what you just said, and add in the fact that he was also the 'cool foreign-exchange student' when he was here. Not to mention how he handled that motorcycle of his. I know Bonnie wasn't the only one who thought he was 'motorcycle hotness'—a lot of the girls here did. As a matter of fact, practically every girl at Middleton was chasing after him for a date. And those that didn't start out like that were definitely way past that point by the time he left."

"Just like sheep," Monique echoed.

Yori noticed the slight blush forming on both their cheeks. "So both of you chased him as well?"

Monique placed a small bite of her pint in her mouth, shivering just a tad at the welcome coldness of it. "Yep. Didn't at first—we actually tried to deny it while we laughed at the other girls who followed him everywhere."

"True," Kim sighed with an air of humorous regret. "But by the end we were crushing sheep."

"Even fought over him a bit," Monique added with a small smile. "Was the first real fight we'd had, and it actually kind of stung us both when we realized he thought of Bonnie as his 'Number One Girlfriend'. Of course, it didn't help that the boy didn't let us in on that little fact until we were dropping him off at the airport."

Yori's eyes narrowed. "This is the second time I have heard mention of this 'Bonnie', and her relationship with Hiro-san. What is she really like? I wish to hear from people who know her and not from Hiro-san's attempting to sugar-coat it."

Kim sighed. "Well, she used to be pretty arrogant and stuck-up, but I think she's calmed down a bit since hooking up with Junior."

Monique nodded. "Definitely didn't seem like the same girl when we saw her at Homecoming this fall."

Yori sighed. "But she is pretty? By American-style standards?"

Kim glanced nervously at Monique, who returned the look with a hesitant and nervous '_Well…_' quality to it.

"I…I guess you…you _could_ say that," the red-head replied hesitantly. "I mean she was constantly on the top of the Middleton High food chain, and she was also the first runner-up for 'Best Looking' in the 'Who's Who?' voting in our senior yearbook."

"And she won for 'Best Hair' and 'Best Dressed'," Monique supplied, adding in a mutter, "even if I did have the better wardrobe."

"Probably she is large of the chest as well," Yori answered with another sigh, this one with more frustration backing it up. "Hiro-san seems to like that sort of thing."

Kim shook her head. "I don't think that was it, Yori. I mean, if it was that it's pretty shallow, and I've never gotten that sort of impression off of Hirotaka. Cocky, yes, but shallow definitely not."

"Me neither, girl," Monique said with a smile. "If anything, I think he goes for the strong, confident type. And based on what I know and can tell from talking to you, you definitely seem to have that."

Yori smiled half-way. "If that is so, he follows the same path as Stoppable-san, and I was not enough of that to win that particular heart." She smiled at Kim. "No offense, Possible-chan."

The red-head smiled. "Don't worry about it, Yori. To be completely honest, something tells me that if I had ended up with someone else you would have been the first person Ron went to. And I'm not the only one who sees that. I mean, just take a look at some of the stories that get written about us in the tabloids and on the internet. Practically every time I get paired with someone else, Ron almost always ends up with 'the mysterious Japanese girl'…and sometimes they don't even put me with someone else to do it. And unless I've missed something, you're the only Japanese girl he's close to."

Yori did a quick little bow with her head. "You are too kind, Kim Possible. But Stoppable-san has never seen me that way."

"Girl's not lying," Monique countered with a shake of her head. "One of the first things that came up between these two that first summer after they got together was over what Ron still felt towards you. It didn't become fight-level, but the discussions my girl and her beau got into about you got about as close as you could without actually becoming one."

The kunoichi's eyes widened. "So this is why you felt threatened when we saw each other next?"

Though she smiled slightly, Kim also nodded a little ashamedly. "That's why. As much as I didn't want to admit it at the time, looking back now I really have to believe that if I had rebuffed him at Bueno Nacho HQ Ron would have hopped the next flight he could to see you. I mean, let's face it: it took you showing up in Middleton before I ever even found out about you or the truth behind what happened to him at Yamanouchi. And I was his best friend at the time. Call me crazy, but to me that most likely meant that Ron felt something more than friendship towards you but he didn't know how I'd react to it."

"You are too kind, Kim Possible."

Monique grinned. "No joke. Girl was completely jelling over it when Ron left with you without telling her why. She actually went so far that she caused an experiment we were working on in Chem. Lab to explode and cover me in red goop. And regardless of what she might have said, bright red hair _was so not_ a good look for me."

Yori laughed mischievously. "Well if what I have learned from others can be at all trusted to be true, you will have the opportunity to get the revenge when she and Stoppable-san decide to marry. Or am I wrong in believing that you have already been selected as…how do you say it here…the 'Maid of Honor'?"

The African-American beauty's smile also turned slightly devious. "Nope, no lie there either. Bachelorette for this girl's gonna be _fun_."

Kim blushed scarlet while the other two continued laughing.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

One floor below in the guys' Unit, three human voices and one mole rat's were mixed with the sounds of dying zombies.

"Boo Yeah!" yelled Rufus triumphantly as the current round came to an end.

"Aww, c'mon!" Ron complained.

Hirotaka smiled confidently and bowed. "It is our honor to defeat you yet again, Stoppable-san and Renton-san."

Ron grumbled a bit as they waited for the reload screen to pass. "That was completely not fair. Why can't we switch to Multi-player Co-op instead of Contest Mode?"

Felix grinned as he wheeled over to the fridge and pulled out four sodas, tossing one to Hirotaka and two to Ron (one of which was for Rufus). "Ron-man, you were the one who said you were the 'Badical Zombie Basher'. And you also chose the teams and paired Hirotaka and Rufus, even though you know Rufus is no slouch when it comes to computer and video games. Besides, it's only been two games so far. Not to mention this is just for fun. Relax a little."

Unfortunately, the tossing of the sodas caused both Hirotaka and Ron to get slightly sprayed when they opened their cans. Rufus couldn't resist falling back and laughing while Felix shrugged and frowned as he offered his apology. However, both of his friends laughed off the mishap as Felix retrieved the paper towels and handed them each a few sheets.

"Yori-chan would find this most amusing," the shinobi said with a wry smile as he used one of his paper towels to wipe off his face. "She is constantly laughing or giggling when I do something like this."

Felix smiled. "Yeah, I definitely got the feeling she likes you, man."

"Uh huh," Rufus quipped, smiling widely.

Hirotaka nodded. "It would seem so. However, she continues to refuse my attempts to ask her out."

"Maybe you're not picking the right time to ask her," Ron offered as he toweled off his own dripping face. "I mean, there are certain times I know Kim's gonna turn down a date because she's stressed or busy, or maybe both. And that's even with the two of us already being engaged. It's all about your timing; you just gotta pick your moments."

The Japanese young man sighed. "But I have tried all possible opportunities and ways of asking."

Felix scratched his chin. "Well, are you still acting like you were when you were here for the exchange program?"

"Yes, but that is how I always act. It is, how would you say, 'part of my charm'."

Ron smiled. "That might be your problem, man. I mean, I only know what Kim, Monique, and Felix have told me about that week, but from the sounds of things you pretty much had your pick of the Middleton girls. And from what they've said you were acting like it as well. Thing is you have to start thinking opposite of that when you want one in particular to want you like that."

Hirotaka stared at him. "But why should I change? Is it not my confidence that she likes?"

The blonde grinned. "I'm not saying she doesn't; actually it's probably one of the things she likes best. But if you want her, you've got to start behaving in a way that shows her you're going to treat her the best out of the literally thousands of guys she could pick to be with. She's got to know that you realize you've got competition for her affections, and that you know there might be guys out there who could be a better match for her. Make her your 'cream of the crop', your 'crème de la crème'. You've got to make her believe she's without any question the most bon-diggity lady on your list, and the one you want the most."

The shinobi looked slightly stunned. "And this is how you treat your women?"

Felix nodded his agreement. "Yep. Ron does that with Kim, and I do that with my girl, Zita. No matter what, you have to keep in mind that you have to constantly prove yourself worthy of her affections. And she needs to know that's how you feel—that you know her feelings for you are a gift that she could take back if she wanted to."

At that moment, the game system froze.

"Aww, rats," Felix complained. "Stupid 'Blue Ring of Doom' strikes again."

He wheeled over and began fiddling with the main console, turning it off as he did so. When he did, five very familiar faces began staring back from the current channel the TV was on. While none of the three humans noticed the program that was showing, a small, hairless pink rodent most certainly did.

"Weasel! Weasel!" Rufus yelped a few times, jumping up and down on the arm of the couch and pointing.

Felix noticed his agitation and turned to look at the screen. "Yo, Ron-man! Willie Finkman's talking about you again."

"_What_?" the young man replied. "What's he saying this time?"

"Don't know yet," Felix replied as he turned up the volume, "but it looks like Yori and Hirotaka may be involved as well."

"…of you have wondered just as I have who this often-appearing beauty is, as she has been seen more than once around Possible and Stoppable," Willie reported with a smug smirk as two pictures, one of Ron and Yori and one of Kim and Hirotaka, rotated over his right shoulder. "Many have thought her just another of their worldwide network of friends. However, judging from these photos I managed to get, it would appear that there may be more going on than the public was led to believe."

Ron immediately grabbed his Kimmunicator off the end table and pressed the call button for Kim's device. When her face came on she was smiling, but the smile seemed to vanish when she noticed her love's frantic look.

"Hey, Ron, what's the sitch?"

"KP, do you have the TV on up there?"

The red-head frowned. "No, why?"

"Might want to turn it on," Ron said with a grimace. "The Weasel's at it again."

"Oh no," Kim replied as he saw her reach for what he assumed was a remote. "What's he saying now?"

There was the sound of the TV in the girl's Unit coming on, and now Willie Finkman's slick voice was being heard in stereo.

"However, _Star Watch_ has always been here to bring you the truth, and this time is no different. Judging by these photos, and by the late hour I obtained them, it would appear that this was a secret meeting arranged by Possible, Stoppable, and their _foreign_ relations. And according to their actions, it would seem these _relations_ might actually be more like _relationships_. If you notice, Possible seems quite cozy with her handsome foreign guy, and Stoppable seems perfectly content with his exotic piece of arm candy. Does this mean that things between Kim and Ron have soured? Or has their whole relationship merely been a cover to keep their hidden lovers out of the spotlight? And who exactly are these mysterious young people? The girl we have seen before, though her name remains a mystery. And according to sources the young man is quite possibly the very same one who Possible was reported to have been seen with at a Bravos concert a few years ago, although this time she doesn't appear to have any competition like she did that night. Regardless, this reporter won't rest until the viewers know the truth."

The show went to commercial, but the action in the two Units was only just beginning.

"_That dishonorable snake!_" Yori practically yelled from the girls' room, her shriek loud enough that it echoed into the guys' Unit. "He speaks only lies and falsehoods!"

Hirotaka's face was one of grim determination. "I suggest that either we go up there to Kimberly and Monique's Unit or they come down here, Stoppable-san. This is a matter of utmost importance that must be discussed in person."

Ron nodded, and turned towards his Kimmunicator. "What do you think, KP? Our place or yours?"

Kim glanced at the other two girls. "Well, all things considered I think it might be better if we were to come down there. Just give us a few to get changed."

Ron nodded as the connection was severed. "They'll be down in a bit."

Less than ten minutes later, the three girls appeared at the door to the guys' Unit. Kim and Yori looked livid, and Monique wasn't at all a Sister Serenity. All three of them looked like women scorned who were ready to beat the tar out of a certain disreputable, oily-haired, slick-suited member of the paparazzi.

"I can't _believe_ he did this again!" Kim raged. "I mean, of all the ferociously _ridiculous_…URGH!"

"Ugh! Weasel!" Rufus growled, throwing a few angry chitterings at the TV, which was muted but still on _Star Watch_ in case Willie decided to return to his "breaking lead story" later in the program.

Felix rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, Kim, I hate to say it, but regardless of what he's said the photos he's got don't make the four of you look very good. I mean if I didn't know you and Ron were completely and totally committed to each other, I could maybe see where he might think what he does. Plus, a lot of people don't know who Yori and Hirotaka are beyond the fact that they've been spotted around you guys, especially Yori around Ron."

Yori looked livid. "But how could such a creature possibly think that I would try to separate two dear friends? I am not some American-style harlot or hooker!"

Hirotaka frowned. "But, Yori-chan, you must force yourself to admit that there have been times in the past where your feelings for Stoppable-san may have been unknowingly expressed. And since as ninja and members of the Yamanouchi School we must normally keep to the shadows, it does offer up the assumption from outsiders that you are in fact a secret he is trying to keep hidden."

The kunoichi glared daggers at him, and for a few moments the tension between the two of them could not have been cut with a diamond-edged blade. The other four remained silent, no one knowing what to say to break the uncomfortably agitated mood filling the room. Even Rufus remained completely quiet, glancing back and forth between the two Japanese young people nervously.

Finally, Monique spoke up. "Okay, look, regardless of _what_ was said, we need to figure out how the four of you are going to counter it. Now the first order of business has to be that we've got to figure out when he took those photos of your four. Then we need to figure out a way for you to get the truth out there ASAP and squash what he's saying before it gets out of hand.

"That's gonna be difficult," Ron replied. "Remember, the world still doesn't know about Yamanouchi. After all, that was one thing last summer we never mentioned to the press, because hiding it meant meant we were able to keep it out of the public eye."

Kim nodded her agreement. "Ron's right. And we can't just say that Yori and Hirotaka are friends from Japan, either. Especially since Willie's made the correlation that Yori's been seen with us before and that Hirotaka's the one who Monique and I went to see the Bravos with our sophomore year at Middleton."

Felix frowned. "Hey, do you think Finkman will try to contact the school and find out where Hirotaka came from?"

Monique's eyes went wide. "He's right, girl. If Willie's made the connection that Hirotaka was at Middleton, he's probably gonna try and find out why he was there. And Mr. Barkin told us all that day he arrived that Middleton and Yamanouchi are considered sister schools."

Yori shook her head. "It is quite likely that path will lead him to nothing. Yamanouchi has long kept hidden by being open about our existence. The people know we are there—it is a necessity of the school's survival, since we must often trade with or buy goods and supplies from the village below."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, but Yori, they'd don't know you're actually a secret ninja school. They think you're just a public boarding school—after all, that's what I was told when I found out I was going to be spending a week there."

"Unfortunately, there is more," Hirotaka said grimly.

"More?" Kim replied.

Apparently she wasn't the only one, as the others all looked at him questioningly as well. Even Yori did so, which surprised the other four present.

The Japanese young man nodded. "Yes. What I tell you now has only been revealed to a few people within the walls of the Yamanouchi School, and even fewer outside the school have learned of these things within the entirety of the school's history and existence. I only reveal it now because it is something we must be aware of as we deal with this problem, and please be aware that I only speak of them in the presence of Monique and Felix because the two of you must be involved in helping to resolve our current situation. And Yori, you must understand that there is a reason you have not been told about many of these things until now."

The kunoichi looked slightly hurt but still kept her eyes on him, signaling her understanding.

Hirotaka took a deep breath. "Yes, the Yamanouchi School offers the public the face of a public boarding school, and yes, there are the privileged members of the world who know of its existence as a secret ninjitsu training ground. However, what many do not realize is that the school is also home to many artifacts and histories that the world is not yet ready to know about. Three of these Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable have been privy to simply because they are involved in them: the 'Lotus Blade', the conflict between the Han and the Yono, and the 'Prophecies of the Jade Monkeys'. However, there are other secrets that the masters of Yamanouchi must keep guarded as well. Some of these things contain very little apparent value to those that do not understand them, and some will shake the very foundations of what the human race knows and how the world is perceived if they are revealed. It is for this reason that Master Sensei chose to as you would say 'hide in plain sight'—if the school appeared to be hiding something, there would be those who would seek to find what that secret was."

Ron frowned. "Wait, if not all of Yamanouchi knows about this stuff, how do you?"

Hirotaka bowed solemnly. "I know because I am one of the candidates to inherit the school when Master Sensei passes it on."

Kim nodded. "So in other words no matter what our story is the public image of Yamanouchi has to remain the same. Otherwise, we risk someone learning that you're hiding these things."

"Precisely," the shinobi replied solemnly.

Monique frowned. "In that case, we're gonna have to make sure we've all got the same story to tell. As one of Middleton High's premier gossip mavens, I can tell you the quickest way to get rumors flying is if the stories don't match up. We're gonna have to make sure we all have the same ATA for the four of you."

Kim half-smiled. "I agree. Air Tight Alibis are definitely the way to go with this."

Felix scratched his chin. "But what about those photos? Somehow you're gonna have to counteract those as well."

The red-head shook her head. "One crisis at a time. First we need to explain who Yori and Hirotaka are. Then we worry about what those photos show. And I think the first step is calling Wade in on this."

Ron smiled. "Hey, good thinking, KP. Maybe he can rig up something to change the description of the school or something."

Yori smiled as well. "Or maybe there is another way."

Hirotaka looked at her strangely. "What do you refer to, Yori-chan?"

The kunoichi eyed him expectantly. "You do not follow, Hiro-san? Then consider what the world already knows. If I am not mistaken, there are records of Stoppable-san being at Yamanouchi. There are also ones of the two of us being at Middleton High—you during the same exchange that took him to Yamanouchi, and myself during the time that I came to enlist his help in finding Sensei. Consider those facts, and I am sure you will understand my logic."

Felix snapped his fingers. "You want to set it up to look like there was a second exchange between the schools that swapped you and Kim!"

Yori nodded. "It is my belief that this will be the best solution. After all, Possible-chan has on many occasions been out of the United States for extended periods when the rest of the world was not aware of the details on where she was. And all it will take to accomplish is the cooperation of Sensei and your Mr. Barkin to make the story appear true."

Ron was puzzled however. "But how will that explain who you and Hirotaka are?"

Kim smiled. "Ron, she's saying that if we set things up to look like that, it would be easy to explain how we know them as simply saying that they're just good friends we made during the student exchange program. And from there, a lot of people will most likely just assume that the two of them were in the country and decided to visit us while they were here."

"Boo Yeah, Yori!" Rufus exclaimed, punching his small pink fist in the air.

Yori blushed ever so slightly. "Thank you, Rufus-san."

Monique smiled. "And to help prove to the public that you're tight with each other, I think tomorrow we need to have the girls going on a shopping trip and the guys…doing whatever it is you do that's equivalent to that."

Ron frowned. "But how will you pay for it? I mean, it's going to look kind of weird if you and Kim are buying stuff and Yori isn't."

"Stoppable-san, I do have my own money," the Japanese young woman replied with a grin. "Not to mention that I am a girl after all, and have participated in many shopping trips with friends back home. Besides, as long as there is _Kurabu Banana_ involved, this solution should not be a problem for me. And given his success, I would be greatly surprised if Coco-dono does not possess stores here in the United States."

Although she probably shouldn't have been all that surprised to hear it, Kim's eyes still shot wide. "You're a fan of ClubBanana?"

Hirotaka rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "A 'fan'? My Lily of the Fields is the most loyal customer the location in the Keyakizaka Dori section of the Roppongi Hills area has, despite only going there once a month when the students of Yamanouchi take a group trip."

"The wha?" Ron and Felix said in near unison, but not enough for anybody to call a jinx.

Kim grinned. "Ron, the Keyakizaka Dori section of Roppongi Hills is considered the 'Rodeo Drive of Tokyo'."

"In other words, the FSP of Japan," Monique added with a huge grin quickly forming on her face, even holding out her hand for Yori, who lightly high-fived it. "This girl's even cooler and more cutting edge than I thought."

Another look of confusion from the two guys, one that Hirotaka quickly cleared up. "Female Shopper's Paradise. I remember Monique describing such things to me when I was here during the exchange."

Felix grinned wryly. "Sounds like no matter where they're from, a girl's best friend is her credit card."

Kim laughed a bit at the joke. "May be, Felix. But back to more serious matters: Yori, can you or Hirotaka contact Sensei about this?"

"We could," Yori replied with a smile, "but it would be quicker if Stoppable-san does it."

Ron looked blank for a moment before he nodded. "Ahh, Mystical Monkey Meeting. Got it."

While the other's watched he put himself in lotus position (albeit with some humorous difficulty) and closed his eyes. About thirty seconds later, he began to glow a light blue. Another minute or two later, Ron's mouth began moving, but no words came out. Also, his face began shifting expressions, though the randomness gave no clues as to how the young man's talk with Sensei was going…though judging by the number of frowns, it didn't look exactly promising. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, and long after the amount of time it should have taken for the plan to be conveyed, the light blue glow began to dissipate. It took another couple of minutes for Ron to open his eyes, but when they did they were filled with something the other occupants of the room hadn't expected: uncertainty.

"Well?" Kim asked when he remained silent for several more minutes.

"Sensei says he'll do it, and that he is proud that Yori came up with the plan…"

"But," the kunoichi prodded, sensing the contradiction coming.

Ron hung his head slightly. "But he also says that while this is the best solution to the most pressing problem, using it will turn the photos from pebbles into boulders."

Hirotaka frowned. "But how can that be? If we are established as friends, will it not make it easier for us to explain our closeness as simply that?"

The blonde shook his head. "That's what I thought to, but he says that we'll have to be extra careful how we word things. And…"

Kim could see the worry in her love's eyes. "What, Ron?"

Felix could see it as well. "What's wrong, Ron-man?"

Ron took a deep breath, and fixed both Yori and Hirotaka with a grim look. "He says that if we go through with this plan and the two of you are exposed during any part of it, the rules can't be ignored regardless of your standing with Yamanouchi."

At once both young ninja looked at each other with crestfallen faces.

"Wait," Kim interjected, sensing the nervousness, "what exactly does that mean?"

* * *

On the other side of the planet, Sensei frowned as he walked out to the bird cages. Although it pained him to do so, he was now required to send out preparedness orders to certain graduates of Yamanouchi…graduates with very _special_ Black Ops skills. As he pulled an avian carrier from the cage and attached the message to the pouch on its leg, he could not help but hope that the next one he sent would be to call off the assassination orders instead of confirming them.

* * *

"He _what_?" Kim blanched. "But Sensei realizes you would never intentionally expose the school, right?"

Yori frowned and nodded. "Yes, he realizes this. However, as ninja we are taught and trained from the beginning that it is sometimes necessary to eliminate a few of our own to save the school or clan that we are a part of. No one is above this, not even Master Sensei or ones held as high in honor as Hiro-san and myself. Even those who have left our school are still subject to this rule. It is the life we have chosen to live…or in some cases, the life that was chosen for us."

"But…how is that fair?" Ron defended.

"It is not a matter of 'fair' or of 'right and wrong', Stoppable-san," Hirotaka countered. "It is simply a matter of duty and responsibility. A ninja who is killed to protect his fellow kunoichi and shinobi takes comfort in the knowledge that he dies with honor, for this path is only chosen for one who possesses information that would harm his allies if it should get out. This is also why, although you and Kim Possible have been identified as friends of Yamanouchi, you have never been seen as full members or students of the school."

Monique shook her head. "Well as RMU as all this is, I think we'd all do better dealing with it if we got some serious sleep."

Yori nodded. "Though I do not understand the…acronym, I believe you called it…I feel I do understand its meaning. Unfortunately, it is also the code we must live by, and so it must be taken into consideration. Though I must confess I feel we should set up our plan now instead of waiting until the morning."

"No, she is right, Yori-chan," the shinobi replied. "The tired wolf will miss the hunter as he goes for the easy rabbit."

Yori glanced at him for a moment before closing her eyes and offering her agreement with a slight head bow. With that the girls and boys split up for the night once more, and the girls headed back up to Kim and Monique's Unit. Initially Yori and Hirotaka tried to take the couches for their sleeping arrangements; however both Kim and Ron insisted on giving up their own beds for their friends, both young people saying that the couch would be much more comfortable than some of the ground they had used on their missions.

The next morning, the six met again. As it was a Saturday, none of the American teens had a class to attend, but all of the young people agreed it might have been a welcome distraction from the monster Willie's report had created for them to deal with. The two Yamanouchi graduates seemed somewhat subdued, and barely touched the breakfasts they paid for from Sentinel Station's cafeteria. All around them, there were whispers from students who had evidently caught the previous evening's episode of _Star Watch_, and more than a few of the stares that followed the remarks carried smirks and/or frowns in their wake. In addition, the newsstand in the Student Union's foyer had already picked up copies of tabloids carrying the photos. With the amount of buzz that was already beginning to stir, it came as somewhat of a surprise that they weren't approached even once.

Around noon, they all headed over to the Upperton Galleria Mall. The three girls met up with some others, namely Allison, Q, Nina, and Mitzy, at the Club Banana. Those four didn't seem to have any trouble whatsoever buying the story that Yori was simply a good friend that had been made while Kim had been on a second student exchange, one that on Wade's suggestion they were passing off as being somewhat secretive.

"But why not tell anyone that you were part of one as well, Kim?" the junior brunette cheer captain queried as the seven of them rifled through racks at the fashion boutique. "I mean, it's not like it was some big secret that you were out of the country a lot."

The red-head smiled as she pulled out a coral-patterned shirt and held up to herself. "Because most of the villain underworld knows I'm from Middleton, and my being absent for an extended period like that would have been like an open invitation saying 'Attack Here at Your Leisure'. Not to mention Mr. Barkin was worried it would have been seen as a ferocious case of playing favorites that both Ron and I got to be part of a program that's supposed to let people from all walks of life participate." She twirled a bit to left and right. "What do you think, too flashy?"

Mitzy, who seemed a little perturbed by the store's lack of black clothing, frowned. "All of this is too flashy if you ask me. But still, I think I get your point. But why not tell everyone who Yori was when they first started asking and nip the whole thing in the bud?"

Yori smiled a little as she examined a pair of stylish jeans. "That is my fault. I am what you would call 'somewhat shy,' and did not wish to draw the attention that will often accompany those who are known to be good friends with Possible-chan and Stoppable-san." She glanced at the pants, specifically at the low ride of the waistline. "Ugh. Are all American-style pants cut like this? It is no wonder the American male cannot seem to keep his eyes off of a woman's backside."

Nina laughed as she held out another pair that had been made with a slightly higher cut. "Tell me about it. My mom's from Spain, and she always makes comments about how some of the American designers seem to forget that not all girls want to show off their butts."

Monique held up a hand from the other side of the display. "One of the reasons I want to be a fashion designer, girl. Want to show the public you can be stylish without looking like some common streetwalker."

"So how did yours and Ron's parents take the Weasel's story, Kim?" Allison called from the same shirt rack the red-head was browsing.

"Pretty normal, I guess," Kim replied as she held another shirt up to herself. "Dad pretty much didn't say anything, but I think that may have been because Mom was probably standing right next to him while he and I talked on the phone. Mom, on the other hand, wanted to know why I never mentioned that I'd made a few friends my own age during my world travels. I guess she's got a point, though. Seems all me and Ron do is make friends with people who are normally above us in age. But then, considering what we do, I guess it's not that surprising."

Monique laughed a bit. "Well, how many other people under twenty that routinely face off against super-villains and nutcases are there? Think you and Naco Boy pretty much have the market cornered on that."

Emily smiled. "Still, Japan. Wouldn't mind living there for a few years or more. Maybe hooking up with some wild hottie who's had samurai or ninja training."

"To be honest, the majority of them would not know how to karate chop their way out of a paper bag," Yori replied with a dismissive gesture, though she and her two closest friends all knew her derogatory remarks about her personally treasured art was merely an act. "Many of them are much like your American boys, and will say anything they think they must to attract women."

"Universal truth of the male species," Mitzy replied with a smile. "Would you believe I actually had a guy who knew the story behind me and Vinnie actually try to pick me up a couple nights ago by saying he, quote, 'worked for an evil organization bent on taking over the world'. He _actually_ thought that was why I went out with Vinnie in the first place."

"No," Kim replied, the sarcastic flabbergast dripping off the word. "Man, some guys can be so ferociously dim and tactless."

"Preach it, sister," Monique added. "Lost count of the number I've had who tried the same angle on me. This girl may be attracted to the Bad Boy somewhat, but brains are just as important as attitude or looks. Any brother can't understand that ain't worthy of my time."

Allison smiled as she turned from the shirt rack to glance at the others. "Hey they're not _all_ bad, you know. Some of them actually seem like they're trying to act like gentlemen."

Nina grinned. "Yeah, but just the ones who are already taken and have someone to show them how to treat a lady."

Monique smirked. "Uh oh, sounds like someone's got a crush on SWAT."

"No, I'm not crushing on 'Someone Who's Already Taken'," the Hispanic young woman replied. "I'm just saying look at Ron and Felix, and how they act around women. Or look at what Vinnie did because he was influenced by being around Mitzy."

"She's got a point, Mitz," Kim replied with a look at the purple-haired maven.

"I guess," Mitzy replied thoughtfully, a small little smile on her face.

Emily smiled. "Or look at that Hirotaka guy that was with you guys earlier. Can definitely tell he's already smitten with someone."

"You can?" Yori replied.

"Definitely," Allison said. "And unless I missed the signals, it's probably you, Yori. Or didn't you notice you were the last girl he looked at before he, Ron, and Felix left for the arcade."

The Japanese young woman seemed to brighten. "Maybe so."

Kim grinned. "Oh, c'mon. You know he's probably leaning on the side of a game machine talking about you right now."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

However, that was actually _not_ where the three young men were at that moment. In fact, they had quickly run into the very reason for their current trouble, as they had caught Willie Finkman hiding behind a column and following them with a video camera. Apparently the oily-haired guy with Aviator sunglasses had realized he'd been spotted and begun approaching them. Seeing this, Ron had quickly leaned over and warned the shinobi about Willie's penchant for twisting answers to fit his questions.

"So, what are you gentlemen up to today, hmm?" Willie stated, the hum of the recording device buzzing merrily.

"Trying to clean up another of your messes, Weasel," Felix stated flatly. "How about you, had any success being a nuisance to anyone who didn't deserve it today?"

"Freedom of the Press," the reporter replied, smiling smugly at the three young men. "And my viewers are entitled to the truth."

"You do not seek the truth, _Itachi_," Hirotaka spat as he glared at the man. "You wish only that which will bring you the most views from the loyal drones who watch your lies."

"Well, I guess all that talk about Chinese respect and honor is purely for show."

"I am _Japanese_, not Chinese, you _kyodai __chijin_," the shinobi replied with narrowed eyes. "You would do well, _Itachi_, to check the validity of your supposed 'facts' before you report them to your viewers."

"And what would the facts be?" Willie replied, and all three young men could hear the camera's zoom feature being activated. "Well?"

"That Hirotaka here and Yori, the girl you captured on film, are nothing more than good friends that Kim and I met while on our respective student exchanges with the Yamanouchi School."

"Really, is that a fact?" Willie replied with a smug smile. "Because I have sources who say that only you, Mr. Stoppable, and not Miss Possible, were involved in a student exchange between Middleton and Yamanouchi High."

"Need to recheck your info, then," the blonde replied with a smile.

"Uh huh," chittered Rufus from Ron's shoulder. "Get the truth."

"I always get the truth, Hamster," Willie replied with a sour smile in the little guy's direction.

"No, you don't," Felix replied with a laugh. "Cause if you did you'd already know that Rufus there is a Naked Mole Rat."

"Naked Mole Rat," echoed Rufus proudly, puffing his chest and standing like a superhero.

"One little detail I got wrong," the reporter replied with a petulant smirk. "And since you three refuse to come clean, I'll just have to be the People's Voice once more and get the _real story_ from someone who _will_ tell me the truth."

As he walked away, Ron grinned, once more pressing the button that he'd used his warning of Hirotaka to hide the original pressing of. Felix did the same with a button on his chair, and Hirotaka mirrored the action on his own jet black Kimmunicator.

"You get that, Wade?" the blonde said with a smirk as he brought his own crimson red device up to his face.

"Yep, Hirotaka's plan worked like a charm. Got all three feeds with no problem," the tech genius replied with a smile. "Already sent a copy to Heather Tyler over at Channel 6 Middleton, as well as circulating all three through channels over at the MeVision website. If Willie tries to run this on his 2:30 showing, he'll be exposed as a fraud who twists his stories before the afternoon is up."

"I still cannot believe the _Itachi_ made it that easy for us to defeat him," Hirotaka said quietly with a smile. "At this pace, no one will ever question the existence of the Yamanouchi School."

"What does that mean, '_Itachi_'?" Felix stated with a curious look. "You called him that three times now."

"It means 'Weasel' in Japanese," the young man replied. "And I agree with your naming him that, for he is as dishonorable as the weasel who sneaks through the grass in an attempt to steal eggs from the farmer's henhouse."

"What about Mr. Barkin?" Ron asked his Kimmunicator.

"No problems there, either," Wade replied with a smile. "Wasn't too happy I'd hacked the school records, but said he understood why I did it. Also said to give Sensei his regards as well as Christopher's and his father's."

The blonde scratched his head. "But…how do the Barkin's know Sensei?"

Hirotaka smiled. "Evidently, Stoppable-san, there are things you do not know about your former instructor and his family."

Felix rubbed his chin a bit. "But back on subject, and I hate to be the downer here, but didn't that seem a little too easy? I mean, Willie Finkman's never been the type to give up that quickly."

Ron nodded as he stared at the crowd into which the sleazy reporter had disappeared. "I know what you mean. And he didn't even try any of his usual trick questions. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he planned that instead of us…"

* * *

Robert Caraway frowned as he stood up from kneeling to examine the back door's frame and hinges. "Sorry, Jeanette, but it doesn't look like there's any way to fix this thing right now. As a matter of fact I'd actually recommend you let me seal it shut before I leave, cause if you do manage to open this thing it's not going to re-shut no matter how hard you try. The hinges are almost rusted beyond functionality, and that keeping the door slightly open combined with the moisture in the air this winter made the wood expand and warp."

Ron's mother sighed. "Gene won't like hearing that. Is there any way to simply cut the door to fit the frame?"

The repairman frowned and shrugged apologetically. "I know your husband can be a stickler on money, Mrs. Stoppable, but the problem is you've got a back door here that's not a single piece. It's designed with an air pocket in the middle that makes it easier to keep heat contained and also makes it easier to drill through, but the downside is you can't just reshape it. If we do cut it we'll end up exposing that space and making the door about as weak as a thin piece of plywood."

Jeanette removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose slightly, more out of annoyance with the problem her husband had let the door become before calling a repairman than the man before her. "So, how long will it take to get a new one?"

Mr. Caraway pulled off his repairman's ball cap and scratched the back of his head. "Well, if I know Gene he's going to want you guys to get a replacement door that's almost exactly like this one. And that probably means ordering it direct from the manufacturer. It'll be cheaper, but it'll also take about twice as long. Looking at probably at least mid-April at the earliest."

Mrs. Stoppable smiled and nodded. "Well, at least Gene will be happy about the price. I guess go ahead and seal it for now."

"Yes, Ma'am," the repairman replied, and went to work.

* * *

D.N. Amy could tell something was up. It bothered her like the few Cuddlebuddies she'd collected who had the wrong colors or imperfect stitching…which is to say it was something that was constantly bugging her. It was the same feeling she'd gotten back just before they missed their first opportunity to free Monty from his stone encasement, and now it was happening again. The more she watched her uneasy partner Alfred Bates, the more she began to suspect that the Fiske family butler's motives and how far he was willing to go to achieve his goals might be much farther than she herself was willing to go. She might be considered something of a super-villain, but Amy Hall still had limits on exactly what she was willing to do.

And while she had no problems hurting that nasty Team Possible, something was telling her that Alfred Bates was much more willing to employ potentially lethal means in order to achieve the objective that had bound the two of them together in this uneasy partnership. In fact, he had already shown quite a temper in dealing with Cuddle Monkey's ninjitsu-trained simian cohorts—he'd even banished one who came back grievously injured from the raid that had at least partway incapacitated that girl from the ninja school to the harsh, freezing cold temperatures of the surrounding mountains. If he was willing to do that to ones he considered close allies, what was the short and stocky man willing to do to those he deemed as enemies?

Then there were the eyes of Alfred Bates. When Amy had first met the butler many years ago shortly after she'd been hired by the British nobleman Lord Montgomery Fiske to genetically swap out his hands and feet for surgically attached simian versions, Bates had appeared to have a look akin to a "sad bulldog" on his face. In fact, the first crush she'd had on the pair (before she'd actually laid eyes in person on Monty over a week later) had been on the squat assistant to the archaeologist. But now his once bright orbs had seemed to gain a dark quality to them, and he had begun to develop shadowy rings under his eyes, much like the males of the villain world tended to do as they began losing their grip on reality. For most of them D.N. Amy thought it made them look cuter, but for Alfred Bates it only succeeded in making him look that much more frightful.

However, most chilling of all to the stocky woman was that recently Bates had begun treating Monkey Fist as if they had already succeeded in freeing him. The butler seemed to spend hours on end standing or kneeling before the still immobilized form, and had even begun talking to it on occasion. And the one or two times that D.N. Amy had been able to watch from the opposite side, she had been certain that Monty's eyes had remained rooted in their hollow look and that his mouth remained in the horrified grimace.

If it hadn't been for her Tigorillas and Orangupi seeing her as their "mommy" and continuing to keep a close watch over her morning, noon and night, she might have been tempted to flee no matter how big her sizably large interest in freeing Monty-kins from his imprisonment. Regardless, she now kept a constant and wary eye on her accomplice, waiting for the moment he snapped completely…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Alfred Bates frowned at the slowing of progress he and his partner had encountered. It wasn't like there was much they could do, as all the components and ingredients they needed (save for the "keys" that would make it all possible) had finally been gathered. Despite that success the British-born man was beginning to feel increasingly agitated, as the time they could finally act was still a few weeks away. Not only that, but all those around him, including that so-called "rogue geneticist", seemed less dedicated than he to resurrecting the Lord Fiske…or was it the Lord Fist? For weeks now, Bates had been debating that very question, unable to fully recall which his gentleman-master preferred the butler to address him as. It bugged him like nothing else that he could not remember a detail as trivial as that. However, he still remembered that his master liked his afternoon tea stewed with boiling water over three bags of tea leaves for twelve minutes, and that the Lord preferred to resume reading a book two pages before where he had last left off. Or was it two bags for thirteen minutes, and to resume reading five pages before the placed bookmark?

However, one thing Bates was certain of: he was positive he had seen the Lord's fingers move that evening. And his proof was in the fact that it had happened again many times since, and always only for the Lord's most devoted servant to witness. At first it required that Alfred Bates touch his master's stony skin, but now the great man seemed to have gained strength enough that he no longer required assistance. And even more joyous to the butler's mind was that now Lord Fist…or was it Lord Fiske…had progressed to the point that he was once more able to converse with his lifelong servant.

_"And you are certain that she knows nothing of this?" the master asked questioningly._

"No, Milord," Bates replied with a grateful smile as he stood at attention before him and offered a salute of intense respect. "She does not even believe that you have regained your powers of speech."

_"Then continue to keep it from her, Bates. You know how much I despise her."_

"Yes, Milord. Had I not thought it absolutely necessary to involve her in the process of restoring you I would not have let her know of the plan, and would have merely had the monkey ninjas steal the texts and tools that she had already procured."

_"Yes, I have noticed your control of them has increased, Bates," the master replied with a smile. "You have learned much during my time away from you."_

"Thank you, Milord. It has not been easy, but for you I would move the mountains and reshape the rivers."

_"And that devotion shall be rewarded. Now, I must rest some more so that I might return at full strength."_

The short, squat British butler nodded and dropped to one knee, bowing a servant's gesture to the now once-more perceivably immobile statue of his master. "Of course, Milord. And do not worry: I shall make sure that everything continues to proceed according to plan. And that, no matter what else may occur, your return will not be encumbered or interrupted by annoyances."

Bates straightened up, and fitted a warn cloak warmly around the stone-encased Lord's neck and shoulders, proud that he could make his Lord in the smallest way more comfortable. "Rest easy, Milord. Soon, you will return. And when you do, you shall find things better than when you were so wrongly imprisoned. The mole rat that tarnishes and defiles your great power shall be dead, and those whom you wish dominion over shall be yours to command and control after helping to bring you back. And most importantly of all, the pretender to the claim of Monkey Master, that accursed Ron Stoppable, shall have no choice but to bow in humiliated defeat at the mere sight of your great presence."

* * *

_a/n_

_So, the suspense continues to build. And with it more questions are being raised._

_- What will happen to Yori and Hirotaka? And is this sitch with Willie part of the test that Sensei wanted them to face?_

_- Why did Willie give up so easy? And what is he really after?_

_- What will happen to the now strained partnership between Bates and D.N. Amy? And will they succeed, or will Team Possible manage to prevent the foreboding return of Monkey Fist?_

_For some of these answers and more, don't miss the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_As always, Reviews and Comments are always welcome. :)  
_

_~~KP~~KP~~KP~~KP~~KP~~  
_

_I wish to apologize for the randomness of the updates, but real life has recently thrown a few curves my way. Some of them have stalled my muse while others have kick-started my creativity with a vengeance._

_Also, this thing has taken on a life of its own, and even I no longer know how long it's going to go. Originally it was planned to be around 35 chapters, but now I'm just letting it flow. However, I do promise that it should be wrapped up within 50 (I hope). :)_

_EDIT: In addition, I'm sorry if everything is in bold, but this site isn't letting me upload things correctly.  
_

_~~KP~~KP~~KP~~KP~~KP~~_

_For those interested in some good Alternate Universe stories, might I suggest Hashashin by Pojko or Out There, In Here__ by BearSent176 (the collaboration account of Sentinel103 and CajunBear73)._  



	40. Chapter 40

A/N

Chapter 40 is up and running!

- Everyone suspects the Weasel's up to something, but how to counter it?

- Even more pressing, Yori and Hirotaka seem to be running out of time, but the only path open could mean exposing something about Kim and Ron they'd rather stay buried.

- In the midst of this revelation, a painful secret is revealed...but was it really a secret at all?

- Kim and Ron decide to take a gamble, but will it hold up when they offer Willie 'the Weasel' Finkman the chance he's been wanting ever since he first showed up?

- Then, there seem to be a lot of connections between people Team Possible knows that they weren't aware of...including a new one that just came up. How will these relationships affect future events?

- Finally, the villains make last-minute preparations for their endgame moves...with a little twist.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Bates straightened up, and fitted a warn cloak warmly around the stone-encased Lord's neck and shoulders, proud that he could make his Lord in the smallest way more comfortable. "Rest easy, Milord. Soon, you will return. And when you do, you shall find things better than when you were so wrongly imprisoned. The mole rat that tarnishes and defiles your great power shall be dead, and those whom you wish dominion over shall be yours to command and control after helping to bring you back. And most importantly of all, the pretender to the claim of Monkey Master, that accursed Ron Stoppable, shall have no choice but to bow in humiliated defeat at the mere sight of your great presence."

* * *

"I agree with Felix," Kim commented with a grim look when she, Monique, and Yori rejoined the guys a few hours later and the boys filled the girls in on what had taken place. "Willie hasn't given up that easy before, so I think it ferociously unlikely he did so this time. Something's definitely off the road with this sitch."

Hirotaka smiled, his usual air of confidence evident on his face. "Kim, I believe you are being too cautious. It is quite clear he retreated quickly because of the shame of his rapid defeat."

Ron shook his head. "Look, Hirotaka, I know you agreed with our naming him 'the Weasel' because you think that's how he acts, but that's not where he got the nickname. I mean, yeah, part of it comes from him being sneaky and all, but the real reason he got it is because he can usually find the story when no one else can."

Yori frowned. "If that is truly the case, I would suggest we continue this discussion in a more private place."

The others all nodded, and the group headed out to the parking lot. On the way out they passed the newsstand, and none of them noticed the man who lowered his paper to watch them leave. His face was rather lined, but there was no mistaking his Japanese heritage. He flipped a pair of bills to the cashier, a woman whose Japanese heritage could also not be mistaken.

"Send word to the school that I am on their trails," he spoke out of the side of his mouth as he passed her. "And also tell them that I am in position to follow the orders when they are issued."

The woman nodded as he followed the teens out the door.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

A few feet away another person watched the six teens exit the mall, his mirror-lens Aviators seeming to frame them perfectly as a smile creeped its way across his face. Years of being part of the gossip-journalism career had taught Willie Finkman that while a calm target normally wouldn't reveal anything, one who was even slightly on edge could sometimes be a veritable fountain of gossip rumor confirmation. And judging from the way the young people were walking and the agitation evident in their body language, the smug reporter could tell his plan to rattle them a little had worked like a charm.

"You are gonna give me the truth, Kim and Ron, whether you like it or not," he chuckled under his breath as he watched them go. "One way or another, I will find and expose the secrets you're trying to hide."

* * *

As they drove back to the G.V.U. campus, the guys in Felix's van and the girls in Monique's light blue Contour, only Hirotaka seemed unaffected by the pressure of the sitch. The rest remained quiet, each trying to think of some way to counter Willie Finkman's prying into their lives that didn't involve revealing the truth behind the Yamanouchi School.

"I do not understand the problem," the Japanese young man said as they piled out of the vehicles in the Patriot Towers parking lot. "It is obvious that the _Itachi_ was soundly beaten and has given up."

Yori sighed and shook her head. "Hiro-san, our American friends are more familiar with this snake than we are. I suggest we listen to them and continue to keep our guard up."

The shinobi rolled his eyes and looked off to the side. He was about to reply when suddenly a strange look appeared on his face. Instead of coming out with his usual confident and witty retort, he cracked his neck to the side a few times. "If you feel it right to do so, Yori-chan, then that will be our course. And I suggest we start by having them tell us more about him."

The others were puzzled by his sudden change in viewpoint, but both Kim and Yori had noticed his eyes flitting around as he worked his neck. The red-head thought he had noticed someone listening to them, and immediately began discreetly scanning the lot for signs that Willie may have followed them. The kunoichi on the other hand also noticed the momentary lapse in the confidence in the young man's eyes, and somehow instinctively knew that he had spotted the ones that had been sent after them. Thinking quickly, she smiled and turned towards the others.

"If I might add to the suggestion, may we hear about it inside? I wish to relieve myself of these shopping bags."

The others were slightly confused, but they still nodded as Kim and Monique led the way into Patriot Towers and up to their Unit. Once they were safely inside, Kim faced the pair of young ninja.

"Alright, you two," the red-head said none-too-gently, "what's the sitch, and why did you want us to head inside?"

"Girl, what's with the attitude?" Monique asked confusedly.

"KP, what's the matter?" Ron added, equally as surprised at his girlfriend's sudden abruptness. "It could be just like Yori said—she wanted to bring her shopping bags indoors and set them down."

However, the kunoichi bowed her head. "No, Stoppable-san, she is right to question us, just as all of you are entitled to know the answers to her questioning. The reason we asked to come inside is that we believe we were followed here by those who may have been sent after us."

The other four stared with surprised looks of disbelief at the young woman and at Hirotaka, who nodded a confirmation of what they'd just been told. For several minutes no one spoke, the pressure of the situation now a growing specter that could no longer be brushed to the side. After a long period of silence, Felix hesitantly spoke up.

"So if they're here already…how long do you two have?"

Hirotaka frowned and shook his head solemnly. "We do not know, for that decision is in their hands now, and the hands of the school. If Yamanouchi wanted us dead, we would be so already. However we remain alive, so it seems the appearance of the assassins was merely a warning, that Sensei and the senior instructors are giving us a chance to clear things."

Monique nodded solemnly. "Then we've got to work fast. If this gets too big, there won't be a single thing we can do to stop it."

"Monique's right," Kim agreed before turning to Ron. "And I think I know what we have to do."

Ron looked at her for a moment. "KP, are you sure about that?"

Kim brushed a hair out of her face. "No, I'm not sure, Ron. But what other choice do we have?"

Yori frowned. "What plan do you have?"

The red-head sighed and dropped into a chair. "Look, the only way to we can get them to accept that we know you and aren't trying to cover something up is if we admit to what they already suspect."

The kunoichi's frown deepened. "But they are telling a dishonorable lie! Why would you admit to that?"

Ron walked over to Kim and placed his hand on her shoulder before turning towards the others. "Because, Yori, what we're admitting to is that at one time we did have major feelings for the two of you. Kim was totally into Hirotaka…"

"…and Ron was ferociously crushing on Yori," Kim finished. "And we didn't realize till shortly after the two of us actually started dating that the feelings were still there."

Four sets of eyes popped wide in surprise, but only one mouth spoke up—predictably, it belonged to the one who thought they had been privy to practically everything there was to know about the relationship between the two young people.

"And how is it I wasn't told about this?" Monique said with a very confused (and possibly hurt) look on her face.

Ron and Kim looked at each other, their eyes filled with nervousness and regret, before turning back to face her.

"Because, Monique," Kim said with a pained look, "we knew you were keeping the rest of Middleton in the loop about what was happening between us. And this was something we knew we had to keep between just us. Look, I know you could have probably helped, just like you did several times that summer, but we wanted to work through it on our own."

"So you just pretended everything was just sprinkles and roses around me," the African-American beauty said with a look somewhere between hurt and anger. "Treated your sister like I didn't have a clue. Girl, I _knew_ there was something up, and you _know_ if you would have told me to keep my mouth shut about it I would have."

Kim was unable to speak, so Ron did it for her. "Look, Monique, we felt really bad about it, but it wasn't just you we kept out of it. Not even our families knew we were dealing with that."

Felix shook his head. "Actually, Ron-man, you're wrong about that. Your dad asked me if you'd said anything to me because he could see you were hurting over something and suspected it had to do with the two of you."

Monique headed to the fridge just for something to do besides look at the pair. "And Mom P. asked me a dozen times if I had noticed you acting odd, girlfriend. Do you have any idea how hard it was to stand there and L.T.H.F. about it? When I knew things weren't right and the two of you needed some serious help?"

Both Kim and Ron bowed their heads in shame as Kim spoke. "Look, we did what we thought was best…for us…and for _our_ relationship. We had to find out if we could get through a rough patch on our own without anyone else's help. And it never became a fight, so we thought we were doing okay with it."

"And did you?" Monique replied with an eye raised as she finally looked back at them.

Kim shook her head. "Monique, you know the answer to that better than anyone else. You saw the end of it, what it almost became, and you were the one who brought it all to a close."

The shocked look returned. "So then that argument the two of you had over what Ron still felt for Yori…"

"…was the tail-end of that rough patch," Ron replied with a nod. "And if it hadn't been for you, Monique, it might have become a fight. Which means that we might not be where we are now if you hadn't gotten us to sit down and talk instead of stewing over it like we were."

"So I have Monique to thank for cheering you up, Ron-man?" Felix said with a grin, then turned towards the young woman. "Man, Monique, I owe ya' one. Ron was almost unbearable by the Fourth of July that summer, and I couldn't break him out of it no matter what I did. I even tried buying him Naco feasts, playing Zombie Mayhem jamborees, and watching _The Fearless Ferret_ marathons, and got nothing. Heck, I thought it was the date with Kim at the Middleton Fourth Fest that broke it, but from the sounds of it you're the one who saved the day."

Kim smiled a little. "They're right, Monique. Without you, Ron and me might not have even lasted through the summer."

Monique at last smiled. "Okay, I'll forgive you. Course you realize that's three you owe me where you and Naco Boy are concerned," she said as she walked back to hug her BFF.

The red-head grinned as she stood and returned the gesture. "Which I promise to repay in full."

"Not that I mean to break up the bonding moment," Hirotaka interjected as the two girls finished the hug, "but I still do not see how this will help myself and Yori-chan."

However, Yori's face had a touched glow to it. "And you would do that? For the two of us?"

Ron and Kim both nodded, and Kim spoke up. "You're our friends. Plus, it's the only way we can think of to explain who you are without telling the world about the Yamanouchi School's real identity."

Felix frowned a bit. "You realize this is gonna give Willie even more reason to hound you guys for a while, right?"

Ron put his arm around Kim. "Nothing we haven't faced already, Felix."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

And so in short order, Kim had put in a call to Wade and told him to contact Willie Finkman. The tech genius of course voiced his concern, but both Kim and Ron were firm in their belief that it was the only available path that would let the Yamanouchi School continue to "hide in plain sight" as they had always done. When he couldn't dissuade them, Wade placed the call, and a few hours later the return call came through. When it did only the four young people involved were present. Felix had needed to leave for a date with Zita, while Monique had needed to head off to work at the job she had gotten when she transferred to one of the Upperton Club Bananas.

"Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, this is unexpected," Willie said with a smug smile over Kim's Kimmunicator. "And I see that you are not alone, either. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Can it, Weasel," Kim bit harshly. "This isn't a social call. You want your story so badly you have to dig through our personal problems, you'll get one. But you'll get it on our terms."

"Hmm, intriguing," the oily-haired reporter replied. "And what story would that be?"

Ron frowned his disgust. "We're going to tell you who Yori and Hirotaka really are. In an exclusive conducted by you and only one other reporter. Meaning that only you and they will have the first crack at it, and only you and they will have rights to the story."

Willie's smug smile grew. "And who is this 'other reporter', hmm? I must know who you're going to have as your ringer."

Kim smirked. "That's for us to know and you to find out."

The sleazy paparazzi grinned. "You realize this makes twice now I've rattled your cages enough to get you to come out with the 'real truth' the people deserve. I wonder what else I'll find if I rattle a bit more."

The red-head's smirk also grew. "Well, you can shake all you want, Willie. There's nothing else left to find that at least someone else doesn't already know. And just so you're aware, we wouldn't be telling this unless we absolutely had to. Now do you want the story or not?"

"Very well then. What are the parameters for this little…gathering?"

Ron fixed the screen with an icy glare. "You and one cameraman will be permitted into a location that Wade will be emailing to you, where the four of us will be meeting you. The same information will be given to the other reporter. Before the interview, you and your cameraman will agree to a search for all other recording devices done by a third party who has never shown any of us favoritism. If they find anything else other than what is needed for a typical interview, you lose your shared exclusive and it becomes a sole exclusive for the other party. And just so _you_ know, we have full confidence that the other reporter will follow the rules."

Willie smiled his smug grin once more. "Acceptable. I'll see the four of you there."

With that the screen blipped off, and both Kim and Ron looked at Yori and Hirotaka. The two young ninja nodded, and immediately Ron went into a lotus position to contact Sensei with the new plan. As he did, Kim put in another call to Wade.

"How'd it go?" he said with a nervous look.

"He agreed to it, but a little too easily. Can you rig something to cancel all other equipment except camcorders and microphones?"

Wade scratched his chin. "Maybe, if I can get the cooperation of the security we contacted."

Kim nodded. "Good. And I think they'll go along with it. Now, about the other invitation…"

The tech genius smiled. "Got a reply almost as soon as it went out. We're good to go."

"Perfect," Kim replied. "And Wade, I want you to start running a full monitor sweep on everything Willie Finkman does from here on in. I don't want to be caught by something like this again. As a matter of fact, I want you to start a list of 'Mistrusted Media' that we're keeping an eye on from now on and make him the first entry."

"I'm on it," Wade agreed with a nod before he cut the connection.

At that moment, Ron came out of his trance, and the other three stared intently at him. Once it was obvious his senses had returned, he nodded and smiled.

"Although he didn't like how long it's going to take to clear this up, Sensei says the Yamanouchi School will watch the interview with great interest," the blonde declared. Then he added confusedly, "But he also warns to be ready for the serpent's hidden strike. And he says that more than one serpent is lurking in these shadows."

Kim didn't see Yori and Hirotaka glance at each other because she was looking at her love, and Ron didn't seem to catch the meaning as he said nothing. However, the two Japanese young people both knew there was more than one way that could be interpreted…

* * *

The afternoon of Wednesday, March 7, 2007, found Team Possible and their Japanese friends at an interview set often used by the Media Department of G.V.U. for their student-produced news reports. Everything electronic had been cleared from the room, and there were six chairs waiting as well as two extra people. Right on cue, Willie Finkman showed up dressed in his sharp gray suit with yet another horrible tie, and immediately the fireworks started.

"Miss Possible, you said that the people performing this search had never shown you favoritism," he said with a furrowed brow curling over his Aviators. "These two have been known to do just that."

"I'll have you know I've never shown Possible or Stoppable the least amount of favoritism," Steve Barkin declared with a frown. "If I had shown either of them even an inch of it, Middleton Public Schools would have fired me and PACE would have revoked my membership. I may hold these two in high regard, but I promise you I've treated them no different than any other student who walked through those halls."

Willie frowned. "That may be, but the Professional Association of Colorado Educators wouldn't do a thing if you were to play favorites with them now that they've graduated from Middleton High."

"Actually, they would," the educator replied with a grim look as he began searching Willie. "Possible and Stoppable are a special case because of their notoriety, and preferential treatment now could lead to it being suspected that it was being given back then. I'm only doing this to prove that I have always been fair where they were concerned."

"An' to accuse me of favoring them is ev'n more ridiculous," Officer Hobble growled as he took the camera from the cameraman over to a table with a partition set up on it, his Irish brogue coming out full force. "I'd be out o' a job at the Middleton Police Department so fast ma' head would be spinning. No, not jus' ma' head—ma' whole body would be spinnin' like clouds o'er the shores o' Erye."

"So then why are you taking the camera to search it somewhere where we can't see it?" the sleazy reporter asked.

"Called a 'search wall'," Mr. Barkin replied as he began searching Willie's cameraman. "Standard procedure for most searches nowadays. If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about."

At that moment, one of the lights halfway between the search area and interview area flickered a bit for about thirty seconds.

"Looks like some bad lighting in here," Willie quipped.

"Sorry about that," Kim replied with a rolling eye at the offending fixture. "That fixture's got some bad wiring, which is one of the reasons it's not being used to light the area we're doing this in."

Officer Hobble nodded. "Okay, looks good here."

"Good," replied Ron. "Our other guests should be arriving momentarily.

About five minutes later, another reporter and cameraman walked in. When Willie saw who it was, he frowned.

"Nice to see you, Heather."

"Likewise, Weasel," she snipped. "Seems you still get your kicks by harassing those who've done nothing wrong."

Willie grinned. "Well, you would know, Heather-cakes."

Heather smiled a bit, but it was obvious to most of those present that the look had been forced. Kim and Ron shot a glance at each other, having seen the blonde reporter exhibit a similar reaction to the Weasel back in November during the engagement press conference. However, this wasn't the time to focus on that—at the moment they had another media circus they needed to quash before it got out of hand.

Soon after Heather and her cameraman and equipment were checked (during which the faulty light flickered again), the teens motioned the press members to sit down, and Kim cleared her throat. As she did so, she noticed the red lights on both cameras come to life.

"As you both have noticed, there is no other equipment here apart from that which you brought in. This was done to ensure that this'll be kept fair, and that both of you have equal opportunity to break this story."

Both Willie and Heather nodded, the Weasel with glee and the Channel 6 Middleton reporter with concern.

"Now, here's how this works," Ron began. "First, we tell you who Yori and Hirotaka are and how we know them. Then, you will be allowed to alternate questions. If you don't have a question, simply say 'Pass' when your turn comes. Clear?"

Both reporters nodded.

Kim took a deep breath. "Now, Willie, you wanted to know who Yori and Hirotaka are, and why they have continued appearing in our lives. The truth is that we met them during the week-long student exchange between Middleton High and the Yamanouchi School in Japan, which are considered 'sister schools', back during our sophomore year at Middleton. During that time, Ron met Yori he went to Yamanouchi, and Hirotaka met me when he came to Middleton. During that time, I began crushing on Hirotaka, and Ron began crushing on Yori."

Yori spoke up now. "During that time, Stoppable-san asked if I would like to, as you Americans put it, 'hang out'. However, I refused at the time because I knew that he would only be at the Yamanouchi School for a week, and did not want to start something I could not finish. I also knew of him from seeing television reports of his and Possible-chan's missions, and because I can be a bit shy I did not feel comfortable dating someone who was as well known as Stoppable-san was at the time."

Hirotaka picked up the tale. "Like Yori-chan, I was not interested in dating someone of such high renown as 'the Kim Possible', and chose to ignore her requests to do more than simply hang out. Also, I was interested in other girls during this time as well, and felt that Kim Possible and I would not work. In addition, I too was aware that I would only be in Middleton for a week, and did not want the tie-downs of a girlfriend who was half a world away."

Now it was Ron's turn. "However, when the week ended, both Kim and I couldn't just forget about them. So we agreed to remain Pen Pals with them, myself with Yori and Kim with Hirotaka. And during that time, we became much closer friends with them."

Hirotaka nodded. "Although I had rebuffed Kim Possible's advances, I found myself intrigued by her spirit. And that same fire continued to impress me in the letters I began receiving. Through our correspondence I learned more of her mission work, and began to see more than the girl I had initially not been interested in."

Yori smiled. "And I began to see more behind Stoppable-san than just the American-style buffoonery I had seen during his week at the Yamanouchi School. In truth, I began to see someone I thought I could very easily fall for."

Once more it was Kim's chance to continue. "Then we were informed by Mr. Barkin near the middle of our junior year at Middleton that there would be another student exchange with Yamanouchi. And since they had picked the exchange the previous time, MHS would do it this time, and that there would be a drawing from a pool of interested students to determine who got to go. I wanted to see Japan from a regular person's point of view as opposed to from a mission standpoint, so I submitted my name. Mr. Barkin was a little concerned when my name was drawn, however, so we decided to keep the exchange relatively quiet. Therefore it wasn't announced to the whole student body that I had been selected, and most thought the exchange had been cancelled."

Yori nodded. "And by coincidence, the honor of going to Middleton was giving to me. When I arrived, I once more met Stoppable-san, and we agreed to have at least one date to, how would you say, 'try it on for size' and to see if we could make something of what we felt. However, our single date proved that while we had much in common as friends, we did not have much when it came to romance. However, we still had fun, and so decided to remain as close friends."

Hirotaka sighed a bit. "Unfortunately for us as well, Kim Possible and I experienced similar problems when we tried to date. The only thing we seemed to have in common, in fact, was a love for sparring. So while we could keep each other entertained, we knew that with no emotional connection we could also never be more than close friends. It was a true shame, as she is very beautiful, but it was sadly not meant to be. However, we decided to keep the friendship going, and have never regretted that decision."

Ron smiled. "And since Kim and I were such good friends already, and Hirotaka and Yori were basically our equivalent at the Yamanouchi School, I soon became friends with Hirotaka and Yori became friends with Kim. Over time the friendships have grown, and the four of us have been close ever since. And occasionally either Hirotaka or Yori, mostly Yori since Hirotaka has other commitments he has to attend to, have made numerous trips to visit us, and we have stopped by to see them when our missions took us to Japan. And that is what Willie snapped pictures of: four friends seeing each other after a long absence."

Kim nodded. "Now, if you want, you can ask questions about us."

It was obvious from their looks that Willie was more eager, but Heather spoke first. And from the look on the Weasel's face, the blonde reporter asked the question he had been chomping at the bit to pose…though Heather probably asked it in a much nicer way than he would have.

"So then you're saying that there have been no romantic entanglements between Team Possible and your Japanese friends?"

Yori shook her head. "Unfortunately, there have not been. It is quite a shame, as I believed Stoppable-san and I would make a cute couple. However, I now pass that off as what you Americans would call a 'schoolgirl crush'. And I am happy that Stoppable-san and Possible-chan have found each other."

Hirotaka smiled and suppressed a laugh. "To be honest, both Yori-chan and myself suspected the possibilities of the two of them becoming one as we got to know the one we had not kept in touch with. As you would say over here, they seemed to 'complete each other'…though neither Yori-chan nor myself could ever tell you how that works."

Willie seemed a bit perturbed, but no one could have predicted what he'd say.

"Pass," he grumbled.

Heather smiled. "Okay, I've got another one, directed more at Kim and Ron. Have either of you ever regretted that things didn't work out? What I mean is, have any doubts you may have from your failed attempts at relationships with Hirotaka and Yori ever affected your current relationship with each other?"

The Weasel's face instantly gave away that he'd wanted to be the one to lead down that line of questioning as well, and his visage twisted into one of suppressed stewing.

Kim sighed a bit. "I'll admit it did at first, especially when we first started dating. When Ron first asked me to be his girlfriend, I was still hung up on the whole 'hottie' image, and if both he and Hirotaka had asked at the same time I probably would have taken Hirotaka's offer first. But after a few weeks with Ron, heck, after only a few _days_ with Ron, I realized that what mattered wasn't what was on the outside but what was on the inside. And to me—and this is not meant as a jab at Hirotaka in any way, shape, or form—to me what Ron possesses on the inside was and is a better match for me than what Hirotaka has."

Ron shifted a bit. "I actually probably let it affect me a little bit more, to be honest," he said nervously. "See, Kim didn't always accept me as boyfriend material, whereas as Yori did practically from the moment she met me. Plus, I didn't want to ruin my friendship with Kim if we tried and it blew up in our faces. So I guess I thought Yori would have been a safer bet, and that worry over what might happen if Kim and I split and the regret that things didn't ever get started with Yori did affect me and Kim a bit more than it should have. But thankfully, I got over that with the help of some friends, and was able to put my full trust in Kim."

Willie looked like he might be about to call a pass once more, but then his smile got smug again as he looked over the reporter's notes he had taken so far. "But Ron, you and Yori said a few moments earlier that she rebuffed you. How then can you claim that she saw you as 'boyfriend material from the moment she met you'?"

Yori smiled at the sleazy reporter. "Because, Mr. Finkman, that is the truth, and I told him as such within our letters that followed his returning his Middleton. However that first time, as I have stated, I did not want to start something that I believed I could not continue once Stoppable-san left the Yamanouchi School. However, the second time we met, I had decided to give it a chance regardless of the great distance between our homelands—unfortunately, as we have stated, by that time we realized we were not meant to be. Instead, we share a bond of honor and close friendship."

Willie sunk into his chair a little bit, like a child who has missed out on something he really wanted. Seeing his reaction, the four friends couldn't help sharing a secret, inward smile. Meanwhile, Heather's face possessed a curiously satisfied grin, much like a cat who had gobbled the goldfish without anyone finding out.

"Pass," she declared with a decidedly happy mood to her posture.

Willie sat forward, although it was obvious he was now a bit flustered and apparently fishing for strings to see if there were secrets attached. "Okay, Yori and Hirotaka, I have one for you. Before this interview, I attempted to contact the Yamanouchi School to confirm that you were from there, as I suspected that was where you were from based on Hirotaka's initial appearance in Middleton. However, I could very rarely get through. Why is that?"

Hirotaka grinned confidently. "That is a simple question, Mr. Finkman, and it possesses a simple answer. The Yamanouchi School is a private boarding school that uses its distance from the normal hum of civilization to help the students to focus on our studies. As such, should you choose to visit you would find that we have limited television reception and even lower phone reception. Some of the less focused student residents dislike these facts," he continued as he slipped his arm around Yori's shoulders, "but those of us who understand it relish the solitude and serenity we are able to achieve. And if you were to research the students who have graduated from the halls of the Yamanouchi School, you would find that quite often they are able to go to some of the most prestigious universities in Japan and in the world at large. Although I declined them because other plans I had made came through, I myself was offered a full ride to Todai after my commencement, what I believe you would call Tokyo University, as well as a fully paid scholarship to Oxford."

"That is rather prestigious," exclaimed Heather with a smile.

Willie, however, was flustered even more. "But…umm…what about…no…how about…no, that's already been asked…umm…Aww, rats!"

"Is there a problem, Mr. Finkman?" Kim asked with a slightly knowing smile.

"No, no problem," he replied despite his frustration being fully evident. "So then what you're telling us is that the four of you are merely good friends who at one time had 'school-age crushes' on one another."

"That right," Ron answered with a smile. "There may have been romantic feelings at one time, but now all the four of us share is a friendship that we treasure as much as any others we have made."

The Weasel grumbled a bit under his breath as he gave his cameraman the "cut" sign, but still he nodded politely. "Well I think I've gotten all my viewers are gonna want out of this," he said as he stood and shook each of the four's hands with a forced smile on his face. "I'm glad you were honest about this."

Kim smiled as she shook his hand. "Well I'm glad you got what you needed, Mr. Finkman."

"Yeah, whatever," he replied petulantly as he and his cameraman left.

The moment the two were out the door, Officer Hobble once more took the camcorder and recording equipment from the Channel 6 Middleton cameraman back to the table and set it behind the "search wall", and Kim smiled.

"Ready," she said into her Kimmunicator before quickly switching it back off.

At once, the faulty light came back to life with flickering, although this time it rotated around to sweep the entire room with its irregularly flashing light. The moment it was done, Hobble brought the equipment back from behind the "wall".

At once, Heather let out a small giggling laugh. "I have to hand it to you kids, that was some set-up. I don't think Willie will ever know the situation he just fell for."

"Let us hope not," Yori replied.

The blonde reporter smiled. "Just curious, though, what is the story behind the two of you?" she said with a glance at the young woman and at Hirotaka.

The young man shook his head. "Unfortunately, for now you must be content with the story that we have given. However, I must say that once we do reveal the truth, you will most likely be on the list of media who are allowed to cover it."

"Fair enough," Heather replied before turning to her cameraman. "C'mon, Ernie, I think we need to get back to the station and get this on the 6 o'clock News before Willie scoops us on _Star Watch_."

With that the Channel 6 News team left the room accompanied by Officer Hobble, the latter claiming he had to get home for dinner or his wife would be rather upset. A few minutes after they left, the five remaining were surprised to see at a reappearance of the apparition that had once been known as the "Middleton Gravy Ghost". However all of them, including unexpectedly Steve Barkin, showed very little surprise as the multi-colored phantom realigned into the blue-hued form of Master Sensei.

Incredibly, the first one to speak up was Mr. Barkin. "Still having trouble with the beginnings of the astral projection, Master Sensei?"

The Yamanouchi instructor smiled. "Yes, Steve Barkin-san," he answered with a respectful nod. "It is a difficult skill to master. And I must say it is good to see you again. I am pleased that you were allowed to participate in this."

Ron stepped forward. "Wait, how do the two of you know each other? I mean, I know you talked when you were setting up my exchange, but this seems like you know each other even better than that."

Barkin smiled. "Bet you thought I was kidding when I told you just before you graduated that I'd saved the world a couple times while in high school. You and I have a lot more in common than you realize, Stoppable." He turned and folded his hands to bow to the floating form of Sensei. "Master, I have to leave as well. Have some tests to give tomorrow at school, and since I'm the substitute I have to make sure I'm at least partially knowledgeable about the material."

Sensei nodded warmly. "Of course, Barkin-san. May your rivers continue to run with no obstructions."

With that Steve Barkin smiled and left, leaving about a dozen questions running through Ron and Kim's minds in his wake. However, they would have to wait for another day as Sensei's form turned to face the four young people.

"Yori, Hirotaka, I must say I believe you handled this honorably. Though you still have some things to learn about speed in keeping the secrets of Yamanouchi hidden, you have performed well. Return to the school as soon as you have conferred and coordinated with Possible-chan and Stoppable-san—the winds that warn of danger are blowing again, and we must strengthen the walls. And Possible-chan and Stoppable-san, I must thank you as well—what you have done for the Yamanouchi School and her students during this time of trial shall not be forgotten."

He bowed, and his image faded.

"Master Sensei is right," Hirotaka said with a slightly tired smile. "It is time we return to the Yamanouchi School, especially since the time of Monkey Fist's return draws closer and we must be ready to defend against Bates and DNAmy when they come for Sensei."

Kim nodded grimly. "And we'll make sure to continue keeping an eye on Rufus."

"Where is Rufus-san?" Yori said with a questioning eye. "I have not seen him since this morning."

Ron sighed. "Little dude wasn't feeling too well this morning, so he's spent most of the day in his carrier cage resting. He even refused his breakfast cheese and seeds this morning."

Yori nodded sympathetically. "Well, please tell him that I hope for his speedy recovery, and that I hope to see him again soon."

Kim and Ron smiled. "We will," the blonde said. "But before you go, could you maybe answer one question?"

"Yes, Possible-chan," the kunoichi replied.

Kim grinned mischievously. "Well, Monique and I have noticed that both of you seem to be acting just like me and Ron were before we started going out. Not trying to pry or push, but are you two about to hook up or something? Cause it would be ferociously cool if you were."

Both the young ninja smiled, and Hirotaka smiled while Yori blushed. "Actually that happened yesterday, Possible-chan," the shinobi replied. "While the two of us were waiting for you to finish with your classes we decided to head out to the Kobiyaki Grill, which is about authentically Japanese as the Ninjitsu Terrapins to be honest. While we were there we got to talking, and I happened to remember a saying that Sensei uses a lot lately around us: 'The turtle who never leaves his shell remains safe, but he will miss out on wonders he has never dreamed of.' So I asked again, and Yori accepted to be my girlfriend."

Kim grinned and hugged Yori. "That's great. I know you two will be great together."

The kunoichi smiled. "I hope you are right, Possible-chan."

Around an hour and a half later, Kim and Ron dropped their friends off at Denver International Airport, and continued waving until Yori and Hirotaka were through security and had disappeared down the escalators to the trams that would carry them to the terminals.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

At that exact moment, Willie sat in his studio waiting for his next broadcast and going over the recordings he'd gotten during the interview. Smiling to himself, he pulled off his Aviators and press a hidden button. However, instead of the secret recording he had expected, he got only the static of an unrecorded-on tape. Checking the hidden camera and speakers, he scowled slightly as he noticed it looked like he hadn't pressed the "REC" switch but had instead pressed the "REW" button.

_No problem_, he thought. _I've still got the pen and the watch._

However, both disguised recording devices apparently had the same problem, as neither one had anything to playback either. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Willie scowled as he thought deeply about the situation. Although it was possible he might have pressed the wrong button on one device, and there was a remotely slim chance he'd done it with two of the machines, it was nearly inconceivable that he'd done it with all three. Somehow, although he didn't know how they'd pulled it off, Possible and her people had sabotaged his equipment. Whatever they and their foreign friends were hiding, it was obvious he'd been fed and fallen for a line that afternoon.

"I swear, Kim, I will figure out what you and Ron are wanting kept so quiet. And when I do, I'm gonna expose you to the world as the frauds you are."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"So, think Willie's figured out what happened yet?" Ron asked with a smile as they climbed into the Sloth for the trip back to Upperton and the G.V.U. campus.

Kim grinned. "Oh, I think he'll know something's up. After all, Barkin did give the signal that he'd found something when he mentioned PACE. Even if it probably is true what he'd said."

"Yeah, good to know he wasn't just tough on us because of the look I gave him in ninth grade," her boyfriend agreed. "Though I bet it didn't help matters."

"Nor did your using Rufus to help me get out of detention about a month later," she replied with a smile as she turned the Sloth on the road towards Upperton. "Regardless, it's great that he agreed to help us out with that. Speaking of which," she said as she pushed a button on the dashboard of the Sloth.

There was a slight hum, and the screen for the car's in-house Kimmunicator came on, showing Wade's face.

"What up, Kim?" the tech genius said with a smile.

"Just looking for an update on the Weasel," she said with a smile.

Wade grinned. "Star Watch just came on, and Willie's doing his report on the interview. But he's not doing any of his usual tricks, probably because he knows if he does that Heather and Channel 6 will scoop him if he does."

Ron laughed a bit. "Or he's figured out we were on to his hidden recording devices. Nice touch with running the Scrambler Light while Heather's equipment was being checked too, by the way."

The young man smiled. "Yeah, figured that would give us grounds for saying we were protecting ourselves from everyone and not just him if he figured out the situation. And with that partition wall protecting the cameras and the microphones, he can't say we were trying to disable all the equipment. All he can claim is the secret equipment, and with the recording of the deal and Heather to back us up, it'll show him for the sleaze-ball he is if he tries."

"As always, you rock, Wade!" Kim congratulated with a smile.

"I try," he replied with a smile. "By the way, you guys up for a mission? Frugal Lucre is holding a cheese-steak stand in Philadelphia hostage cause they won't bring back they're 'Dollar Night' deal."

Kim and Ron smiled.

"Always ready, Wade," Ron said.

"Yeah," Kim agreed. "And since we have a full tank and mission clothes in the trunk, just give us the coordinates."

"Sending," Wade replied. "Good luck, guys".

* * *

A few hours later, Yori and Hirotaka made a rope drop from a helicopter flown by Yamanouchi graduates into the main yard of the Yamanouchi School. Standing there waiting with a smile on his face was Master Sensei, still awake even at the late hour. As they let go of the ropes and jumped the remaining few feet down to the ground to land silently, Sensei walked up to them, his red and gold robe flowing and a smile on his face.

"My students, you have returned. And how was your trip?"

"You knew we would face this trial," Hirotaka said with a respectful bow and smile.

"And that we would pass it," Yori added, also bowing respectfully and smiling at their teacher.

"That you would face it, yes, I did know," Sensei replied. "But whether or not you would be successful in bringing it to a close, that I did not know. However, I trusted that you would be like the rock in the storm, and would stand strong no matter what you faced. For like the old maple that stands tall in the forest, you must survive many trials before others recognize your strength."

Yori frowned a little bit. "But Sensei, why was I part of this? I learned on our travels that Hirotaka may be one of the ones who inherits the school, but why was it necessary that I face the trial as well?"

Sensei smiled, yet sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately, my student, I must ask you to trust me on that, as it is not yet time for you to know the answers to your many questions."

"But Sensei, I only asked one," she countered in confusion.

However, the Yamanouchi head instructor had already smiled once more and turned to return to his quarters. Yori turned to Hirotaka to ask him what he thought, but the shinobi merely smiled as he pulled her close.

"My Lily of the Fields, do not worry. Remember, Master Sensei never does anything or keeps anything secret, at least from the two of us, unless he has a good reason to do so. Besides, without this trip, the two of us might not have gotten together at last."

Yori smiled, and kissed her new boyfriend. However, the kiss was short as she was struck by something she hadn't realized.

"Hiro-san, are you sure that those people you saw in the G.V.U. parking lot were Yamanouchi graduates?"

* * *

Bates smiled at the calendar. "It appears, my dear Amelia, that we are nearing the time when we will revive Lord Monkey Fist. I suggest we start making final preparations for the acquiring of the final ingredients."

DNAmy smiled. "It would seem so, Bates. And have we decided who will be the final target?"

The short, stocky butler grinned. "I think we should go with our original choice. I believe that will please Lord Fiske the most."

"Very well," the rogue bio-geneticist replied. "Just remember, Bates: they all _three_ have to be _alive_ for the ritual to be successful. Otherwise, Cuddle Monkey will be stuck under the Yono's curse."

* * *

_a/n_

_Sorry this update took so long, people, but I've been dealing with several different issues in my personal life since the last update went up. Not the least of which were the passing of my last grandparent and the realization that I may need to move in the near future. However, for the moment I am doing okay and will be remaining in Colorado...though how long that lasts is anybody's guess at this point. But hopefully I can now start getting back to something of a schedule on the updates._

_- So the Weasel's been thwarted again, but how long can Team Possible continue to get lucky where he's concerned?_

_- Were the man and woman at the Upperton Mall associated with Yamanouchi? If they were, why didn't they move in then? And if not, who were they?_

_- And finally, it appears that the villainous tag team of Bates and DNAmy have not one, not two, but THREE targets in mind? Who could these unfortunate souls be?_

_For the answers to these questions and more, don't miss the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**!_

_And as always, comments and reviews are always welcome. : )  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Although it's not another notice of passing (thankfully), this announcement does feel almost that way. A great writer, mentor, and friend, **captainkodak1**, has decided to take a retirement from doing KP fanart and fanfiction. While he assures the Kimmunity he will continue to hang around to discuss and offer critiques and advice, it still seems a shame to lose such a great Pillar of the Kimmunity. However, I wish him all the best with whatever he chooses to do instead. To you, **cap**, I offer this once more:_

_***right hand salute***_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Another reason that this update was slow is that I've finally started posting some of my fanart over at DevArt and at the blog. So far, we have one logo and three characters up. However, you should know that all three characters have barely appeared in these stories up to this point...but that could all change very soon. : )_


	41. Chapter 41

A/N

Chapter 41 is up and running!

- Kim and Ron relax a bit after putting Willie's scoop behind them...including someone doing a little bit of playful prying.

- A necessary conversation takes place between friends.

- The "G.V.U. Annual Spring Talent Bash" is here! Time to find out what Kim and Monique have cooked up for the show...as well as what Ron and his group have had brewing!

- Kim takes on the ultimate babysitting charge - Hana Stoppable! But this won't be just another normal babysitter's assignment...

- And finally, the villain's put their plans into motion...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And now for the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Bates smiled at the calendar. "It appears, my dear Amelia, that we are nearing the time when we will revive Lord Monkey Fist. I suggest we start making final preparations for the acquiring of the final ingredients."

DNAmy smiled. "It would seem so, Bates. And have we decided who will be the final target?"

The short, stocky butler grinned. "I think we should go with our original choice. I believe that will please Lord Fiske the most."

"Very well," the rogue bio-geneticist replied. "Just remember, Bates: they all _three_ have to be _alive_ for the ritual to be successful. Otherwise, Cuddle Monkey will be stuck under the Yono's curse."

* * *

With the threat of being exposed by Willie Finkman once more out of their hair, Kim and Ron were able to again focus on their personal lives. And it was a good thing too, as the sitch with Yori and Hirotaka had come right at the point that they were supposed to be putting the final touches on their respective shows for the G.V.U.'s Annual Spring Talent Bash. In reality both acts were pretty much done and only needed polishing, but the time they'd been forced to spend dealing with the Weasel's fabrications was time both young people agreed could have been better spent working on their performances.

And still most of his friends, including Kim, had no idea what Ron was working on. All the red-head knew for sure was that Elijah Zenkman and Rufus were somehow involved, and that she suspected there were most likely other students involved as well. But she wasn't as worried about that as she had been the other times Ron had been secretive about his activities. After all, if there was one thing she'd learned from the weeks prior to the engagement and about his secret workout, he usually had a pretty good reason for keeping her out of the loop. Knowing that did not make Kim any less curious, however…

"C'mon, Ronnie, not even a hint?" she said with a sweet smile two Friday evenings after the interview with Willie and Heather.

The Talent Bash would be the following Friday, and it was obvious from both their attitudes that the hiccup caused by the unscrupulous Finkman hadn't affected the effectiveness of their more recent rehearsals. And while Ron had seen a few of Kim and Monique's practices because they needed an outside viewer to let them how some of their choreography looked from the outside, Kim's attempts to catch a preview of the act Ron was involved in had so far been denied.

"I promise I won't tell anyone else what you and Eli have been cooking up," she added as she snuggled up closer to him while they relaxed and cuddled together on the couch in the girls' Unit.

Ron grinned as he kissed her neck. "Sorry, KP, but it's not my call. After all, you know I'd tell you if I could. All I can say is that I really think you'll get a big kick out of it. Right, Rufus?"

"Hnk, uh huh. Big laugh," the mole rat replied with a large grin from his perch on the arm of the couch.

Kim got a sly look, and started to pull out her secret weapon. However, before she could put her face into a full Puppy Dog Pout, both Ron and Rufus had covered their eyes and turned their heads. She let out a breath of frustration that was completely laced with humor.

"Alright, fine. But you can at least tell me how big it is," the young woman pried, trying to throw her love off and get him to look at the specialty technique she'd inherited from her mother and grandmother.

Ron wasn't fooled, however, and his hand remained clamped over his eyes. "I can't, KP. We've kept everyone but those who need to know out of the loop up to this point, and we don't want to spoil it now. Eli hasn't even told Beth about it, and you know the two of them seem like they're even closer than you and I are."

Kim sighed, a sign that she was giving in. "Okay, I won't press any more. So do you think you have a chance of winning?"

Ron smiled as he pulled his hand down. "Maybe, but from what I've seen of your and Monique's act, you could be some really tough competition. I mean, Monique's harmonica work is totally incredible, and your part of the vocal section is completely badical."

The red-head blushed slightly. "Like I told Monique, maybe my voice is just more attuned to bluesy stuff than it was to the pop style of that song you and Rufus wrote for me to sing in the Middleton talent show."

"And I'm betting you'll blow this crowd away even more than you did the crowd that night," the young man replied with a grin as he wrapped his arm around her.

Monique came in the front door just in time to hear the compliment. "You can bet she will. Me and this girl are gonna T.R.T.H. Friday evening. Hope you're ready to lose, Naco Boy."

Ron laughed a little. "Hey, I said you'd be good competition, not that you'd win."

Kim rolled her eyes a bit. Her fiancé and her BFF had been throwing playful barbs at each other ever since they'd realized the show seemed a lot closer from this side of Willie's near scoop on their group. However, she knew the two of them only did it as a way of keeping each other psyched and focused. Regardless, it still reminded her of the few times she'd seen her brothers in competition with each other—in other words, it sometimes seemed a little juvenile.

"Okay, you two," she said with a smile, glancing at the clock as she let out a larger than usual yawn. "Alright, I'm going to turn in. And Ron, I think you need to do the same."

The young man was about to protest when a yawn that put his girlfriend's to shame escaped his lips, so instead he nodded and stood up to leave. Since they weren't entirely sure just exactly how Willie had gotten his pictures of them with Yori and Hirotaka, or how he'd obtained some of the information he'd appeared to possess, they'd decided to play things a bit more cautious for a while. In fact, both Kim and Ron had agreed that for the time being it might be best if they went back to their original plan of spending the nights apart—after all, they had to admit they could probably count on only two hands the number of nights they'd gone to sleep with both of them in their own bed. Kim had actually been a tad bit surprised that Ron had agreed with her on the subject (in reality she'd sort of been secretly hoping he would try…and succeed at…talking her out of it), but his compliance had confirmed that not only had he matured quite a bit in his thinking about things, but also that her initial gut feeling on the issue had been the correct path to take.

Still, it wasn't the easiest thing to do to watch him walk towards the stairs or the elevator (Ron's choice on how to get to the floor below normally seemed random), and she couldn't stop the sigh tonight after she kissed him and bade him a good night. As she shut the door and leaned back against it, Monique smiled.

"Good to see you two aren't losing any steam," she quipped.

Kim let out a dry laugh. "Me and Ron, cool down? So not gonna happen."

Her BFF let out a sigh. "Kim, girl, you know I love you, right? And that I support you and Ron one-hundred-percent?"

The red-head nodded. "I know, Mon, I know. If all we have is heat, we'll get burned. But I really think we moved past that long ago."

Monique smiled and nodded. "I know you did, girl, but I'm not talking about relationship-wise. I'm talking engagement-wise."

"What are you saying, Monique?"

"I'm just saying that you have to remember you two planned a long engagement for a reason," the African-American beauty replied. "And that maybe you're looking at this 'spending the night apart' thing in the wrong way. After all, you already told me you were starting to think about seeing if Ron wanted to take things further."

Kim sighed as she began straightening up the Unit for the night. "I guess you're right. Still, I wish we'd chosen this on our own instead of being forced into it by some ferociously unethical reporter who would like nothing better than to pin something on us. To be honest, that's what bugs me the most about this sitch."

Monique nodded as she joined in the clean-up. "I know, girl, but it's also possible that the Weasel did you a favor by making you take a step back."

"Hard to call it a favor," Kim replied. "Regardless, _we_ made the decision, and _I'm_ going to stick with it. Besides, it'll make good practice for this summer when we're living back at home and don't have a choice in the matter. Speaking of which, what are you and your brother going to do about housing?"

Her BFF glanced towards the floor. "Not really sure, just that we won't be staying with Wade and his family. I know Jamal's been looking the past couple of months for apartments and cheap houses, but so far he hasn't found anything that he'd be able to keep going himself when we move back here in the fall. And before you offer, you should know both your parents and Ron's parents already did and that both my brother and I agreed that we need to find our own way to get back on our feet. We can't just keep mooching off of others."

Kim nodded. "Still, you know this time that if you need it we'll do what we can to help."

Monique grinned. "Thanks, girl. It R.M.A.L. to hear that."

"No big."

* * *

A week later, the excitement on the campus was reaching a fever pitch. None of the new freshmen (Kim, Ron, Monique, and Felix included) had realized just how big the Talent Bash was on campus. However, what they hadn't factored was that it wasn't the show that got the campus buzzed—it was what the show represented. The Talent Bash was always held on the Friday before the Friday that led into G.V.U.'s Spring Break, and so to the students the knowledge that it was upon them meant that they had only one week to go before the coveted vacation from classes. For the members of Team Possible, it also meant the end of a waiting game they hadn't been enjoying.

Knowing that the proper celestial alignment Bates and DNAmy needed for the rituals they were going to use to attempt to revive Monkey Fist would occur the same week as their Spring Break had them all on edge a bit the closer it got. Wade was working overtime trying to figure out all the details he could, but so far he'd only been able to figure out that Rufus was definitely a target and that Sensei was most likely the other one. More than once that week he'd called with a lead and either Kim or Ron had told him to hold the information for later and go get some sleep, else he miss something important. The tech genius normally grumbled but complied, yet each time he looked more worn out.

"Seriously, Wade, you need to get some major sleep," Kim admonished him that afternoon when he called while she was packing up her outfit for the show. "After all, we already agreed that we're off-grid tonight so that Ron and I don't let down our respective teammates in our talent acts."

"Fine," the young man replied in between yawns. "But you know I'll be here if either of you need to contact me."

"Good night, Wade," Kim gently ordered with a smile before she severed the connection.

Once her wrist Kimmunicator was off, she pulled it off and put it in her gym bag along with the outfit she would be wearing in the Talent Bash. Then she grabbed her sunglasses and the hat Monique had made, placing both on before she exited out into the main room.

"Ready, girl?" Monique replied, carrying a matching bag and wearing a matching pair of shades and black fedora-style hat.

"Ready," Kim replied with a smile.

The G.V.U. Annual Spring Talent Bash was being held in Reese Hall down at the Jackson Center and the building's parking lot was stuffed to capacity with the cars of students and their friends and families, so much so that the university had set up a designated roped off area where those who were actually in the show could park. As Monique pulled her light-blue Contour into a space, Kim noticed the Phoenix already in the lot. Since they were technically competitors tonight, she and Ron had agreed to ride down separately, and it pleased her to see that Ron had apparently already arrived. The members of the various acts were entering through two opposite backstage doors, and glancing at the prep sheet they'd been given the two girls saw that they were to enter through the west backstage door.

"So still no idea what Ron's group is up to?" Monique asked as they checked-in.

"No clue," Kim replied as she showed their letter to the door handler. "Regardless, I think he'll do fine."

"True," her BFF replied. "After all, if he can pull off that variety act and win the Middleton show in tenth grade against both your singing and Bonnie's ballet routine, pulling off a single-act performance should be a P.O.C. for him."

Kim smiled as they headed to the dressing room. "Oh, btw, I already gave both discs of our music to the techs this morning. And they said they won't start the second CD till they get the signal from you."

"Good," replied Monique. "After all, I've gotta play that intro to warm up before we start the main number. Otherwise either my singing or my playing wouldn't be near as good."

A short while later, they both emerged from the dressing rooms in full, dark suits with white shirts, black ties, hats, and sunglasses, and headed for the west-side green room. Inside, they found a surprise competitor.

"Nina, good to see you," Kim replied as she shook the hand of her fellow cheerleader. "Mind if I ask what you're act is?"

The junior co-captain from Madrid was dressed in a traditional Spanish dress and carrying a guitar decorated with colorful flowing lines.

"Just gonna play a little _guitarra Española tradicional_—traditional Spanish guitar. Been playing since I was five. And what about you? Wait a minute, don't tell me—Blues Brothers."

Monique grinned. "Well, technically we're the 'Blues Sisters', but that's close enough."

Nina smiled. "So any clue what Ron and his group are doing? I saw them heading in the east backstage door, so I'm guessing they're in the east green room."

Kim shook her head. "Nope. But according to him they're going to have us all in stitches."

The Spanish girl nodded. "Well, considering they've got members of the Drama Department and the Media Department involved, I'm hoping so. One of my professors was on the selection committee, and she let slip that this is one of the biggest, most elaborate acts they've ever seen. Thing is, other than the members of the act and the professors and students who chose the line-up for tonight, no one seems to know what they're up to."

The red-head smiled. "Well, whatever it is, we'll just have to wait and watch with everyone else."

"Five minutes to start," called a tech who stuck his head in. "First acts get ready. Oh, and by the way," he said as he pointed to a large TV, "in order to keep the wings clear, we set up a live feed of the show those of you who are waiting can watch. We've got an emcee to fill the gaps between, but you still need to be ready to go pretty soon."

There was a collective sound of agreement among the occupants of the green room, and the tech exited. All eyes turned towards the TV, which was showing the stage in Reese Hall. A guy with a smarmy smile and an apparent sense of comedic timing walked out on the stage, winking at the crowd and really hamming it up.

"Welcome to the 21st G.V.U. Annual Spring Talent Bash. We'd also like to welcome those of you watching on the official G.V.U. Campus Television Network, and we envy you since you can simply turn us off if there's an act you don't like. But seriously, we've got a great show for tonight. I'm Billy Harris, and I'll be your emcee. Now, as in previous shows, each act is gonna be judged by both the judges and by the in-house audience. Our judges this evening were picked at random from the faculty, and they are Guardian football coach William Devereaux; the Dean of the Drama Department, Dr. Jenny Farrell; and the Dean of Student Affairs and Residence Life, Dr. Claire Gordon. So we got a jock, a dramatist, and a shorty—sounds like a bad sitcom, I know."

The crowd laughed lightly at the obvious joke.

"Okay, first act up is junior and Economics major Christi Dean, with an original country song—one she assures me isn't about drinking, heartache, or a dog. So I guess you'll have to judge for yourselves about whether it can actually be called country."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"They're good," Kim remarked as the act ahead of her and Monique continued their acrobatic/street-dancing routine. "Some of those aerial moves took me years to get right."

"Possible, Robinson, you're up next," called the tech that had been notifying the upcoming acts.

"Good luck, you two," Nina called. "Break a leg."

"Thanks," Monique replied as they headed out to the wings on the left of the stage just in time to see the previous act wrap up.

"And that was 'Aerial Attitude'," Billy Harris said. "Quite a group of some high-street flyers there. Okay, next up we have an act a lot of people having been making some buzz about. May I present Kim Possible and Monique Robinson—'The Blues Sisters'!"

There was a small amount of cheering as Kim and Monique took up their places center-stage and back-to-back, the spotlight above them the only thing breaking the darkness. Over the speakers came a classic movie line.

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses."

Monique pulled out her harmonica, and began playing John Popper's "Harmonica Musings". As soon as she was finished with the short little instrumental, Kim smiled and brought a microphone up to her face.

"On a mission from God," she said in her sexiest, sultriest voice.

All at once another music track began, and Monique busted out the first few chords of the Blues Brother's version of "R-E-S-P-E-C-T", playing the sax parts on her harmonica with a few bluesy rifts of her own design thrown in while a music track backed her up. Meanwhile, Kim started in on the vocals.

"_Heeey! What you want? Huh, huh. Baby, I got it_," she belted out.

"_What you need? Ya' know I got it!_" Monique followed in a slightly deeper voice range.

"_All I'm asking…is for a little RESPECT when you get home. Hey, yeah baby, baby, give it to me when ya' get home!_" they voiced in tandem.

As they sang, they broke out some dance moves they'd put together, and pretty quickly the crowd was either swaying to the music or standing and clapping to the beat. And when Monique began playing the signature saxophone rift on her harmonica, never missing a single beat or hitting a sour note, the cheers became deafening. The crowd's reaction was so loud and positive that when they hit the final belting chorus after the spoken part, they needed to sing about twice as loud just to be heard. When they finished up once more center-stage and back-to-back with only the overhead spotlight on them, both were breathing a little heavily from the exertion of the performance. However judging by the fact that the crowd was still cheering and yelling, they were a pretty big hit.

"Wow! Sign me up for the band!" Billy commented. "Mission from God indeed with these two Angels of the Blues!"

As they exited the stage, both Kim and Monique had huge smiles on their faces. And when they reached the green room, the majority of the other Talent Bash participants were applauding their performance.

"Nice one," Nina commented. "I'll bet you two are front-runners for sure."

"Thanks, Nina," Kim replied, "but it wouldn't have been anything without Monique's harmonica work."

"Girl, don't _even_ start," the African-American beauty replied as she removed her hat and shades and fluffed her hair a bit. "You were knocking those high notes and belts clear out of the park out there. Told ya' you could sing with the best of them."

"Guess so," Kim replied. "Okay, how 'bout we say we both did a good job?"

"Deal," Monique replied with a large grin.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

As they watched the next few acts on the green room TV, Kim kept looking for Ron but never saw him on the stage. The show was nearly over, and she was beginning to worry a bit. As Billy Harris came on again and again, the red-head kept looking for some sign that her boyfriend's act was up next, but nothing seemed to stand out based on what little she knew about the performance Ron and Rufus were to be a part of.

"And that was the incredible Sakina Rangarajan with a mind-blowing display of a traditional 'Sword's Dance' from her home country of India. Gotta say, those spinning blades were a sight to watch, and when she lit them on fire I was glad I wasn't in the path of such artistic mastery! Okay, our final act of the evening has been billed by its participants as being part tribute act and part cultural act with loads of comedy thrown in for good measure. Presenting—'The Dreidel Gang'."

"'The Dreidel Gang'?" Monique replied as a group of people quickly carried a set out on stage—including a camera set low and pointing up at a small box set up on a raised platform, and then exited to the wings…after setting up a couple of large wooden Star of David sculptures on either side of an over-sized menorah.

"No," Kim echoed with a giggle and a not-quite-disbelieving shake of her head. "Ron wouldn't be involved in that…"

However, the first lines a couple of guys came out on stage and spoke/sang seemed to confirm that, yes, he would be…

"_Veren zol fun dir a blintza._"

Following that, the stage was rushed from both sides by students (including both Ron and Eli dressed up in full Jewish Bar Mitzvah garb) as a group of girls sang the entrance bridge.

"(_How ya doin' Bernie?) Oy vey, oy vey!  
_(_How ya doin' Bernie?) Oy vey, oy vey!  
_(_How ya doin' Bernie?) Oy vey, oy vey!  
_(_How ya doin' Bernie?) Oy vey, oy vey!  
__And all the goyim say I'm pretty fly for a rabbi!"_

"Hey, I don't see Rufus," Monique commented.

"If this is what I think it is, you're about to, Monique," Kim commented as her giggling began to take hold.

Out on the stage, the members of Ron's group were breaking into dance moves that combined what looked like break-dancing with traditional Jewish dances. After a few seconds of rock music, the box tower in the center of the platform began to steam smoke, and Rufus rose out, dressed in a full rabbi costume, complete with large (for Rufus) black hat and a dark, curly wig with fake beard—the ensemble actually reminded Kim of a Robin Hood parody she'd seen a few years prior. Also, the camera's purpose now became apparent, as it projected Rufus's image on the screen behind him and made him visible to the audience and the cameras recording the show. As the mole rat began joining in the break-dancing, and apparently became the main highlight of the performance, Ron and Eli began alternating the lines of Weird Al Yankovic's "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi":

Ron: "_Our temple's had a fair share of rabbis in the past._"

Eli: "_But most of 'em were nudniks and none of 'em would last._"

Ron: "_But our new guy's real kosher, I think he'll do the trick_."

Eli: "_I tell ya, he's to die for – he really knows his schtick._"

And then they sang the chorus together. From the outset, the show was a complete send-up of all things Jewish, and those in the green room were having to hold their sides because they were laughing so hard. And judging from the roar coming through both on the TV and though the halls from the stage, the audience was in equally as many stitches. All over the stage, there were G.V.U. students running around with oversized Stars of David, Dreidels, yarmulkes, and accounting books, while up on their elevated platform Ron, Rufus, and Eli were going all out with their dancing—Ron and Eli were even adding in acrobatic twirling and tossing of their own yarmulkes a few times. Had anyone else been doing the act it would have come across as completely poor taste, but since it was obvious that every member of the "Dreidel Gang" (including Ron and Eli) followed some branch of the Jewish religion it came across as absolutely hilarious.

"Oh my God!" chuckled Monique, holding her side as she leaned back in her chair to keep her breathing going. "Who in the world came up with this?"

Kim was bent over laughing so hard her eyes were watering, but she managed to get out, "Probably Ron. He's been a fan of Weird Al as long as I can remember. He told me once that part of the reason he could write 'Naked Mole Rap' was because of the lyrics Weird Al can spin on popular songs."

Nina couldn't resist her chortling either. "Whoo boy. Well, it certainly fits Ron to come up with something like this. And people are gonna be talking about this act for years to come."

"That's for sure," Kim giggled. "If this is Ron's brainchild, he's really outdone himself."

To Kim, however, the best part of the whole thing was that Rufus seemed to be portraying the part of the rabbi that was being talked about in the song. When Ron had first told her his little buddy was involved in the show, she'd been worried that Rufus was going to have some little bit part that Ron had thrown in just so the little guy wouldn't feel left out—something she knew would likely hurt the mole rat's feelings more than placate them. But judging from the performance, Rufus's dancing was not only a key aspect but the very highlight of the show. And based on the moves the little guy was doing, she was starting to think she might have found the one who taught Ron his "bon-diggity dance moves". Rufus was pulling off dance steps she'd for some reason never realized he knew even though she'd probably seen him dance at least a thousand times.

As the "Dreidel Gang" wrapped up their act Billy came back out on stage, the look on his face making it clear he'd been laughing just as hard as the rest of the audience members.

"Oh my!" he called out amidst the final part of his own laugh. "They say save the best for last, and that may have very well been it. But remember, there have been a ton of great acts tonight, and any one of them could walk away with this year's Talent Bash Trophy. The judges will be deliberating on this during a quick break, and when we come back we'll have the announcement of the five finalists, as well as the crowning of this year's winner! So stay tuned to G.V.U.C.T.V.!"

However, Kim missed that last part as she had already departed for the opposite backstage wing. The minute she reached the east-side green room, she was enveloped in a loving and crushing hug.

"What'd you think, KP?" Ron asked with a trademark goofy grin as he set her down.

"Major Boo Yeah," she replied with a giggle. "Ron that was soooo hilarious. But who came up with it?"

Eli grinned as he wrapped his arm around Ron's neck to apply a teasing noogie. "You're looking at him. Stoppable here came up with the whole _schlemiel_ from start to finish, and what he didn't do Rufus filled in. I tell ya', Kim, this guy's going to keep you in stitches for years to come."

"Hey, it wasn't all me," Ron defended as he gently broke out of the hold. "It wouldn't have been half as badical without the rest of you guys."

"And humble to boot," laughed one of the girls who had been part of the act before throwing in a playful tease. "Fair warning, Kim: you let him get back on the market and he'll be off-limits to you in less than an hour."

"So not gonna happen," the red-head replied with a smirk. "I plan to make sure no one else ever gets a chance with him again."

"Works for me," Ron replied with a smile and a kiss to her cheek. "And hey, speaking of badical performances, you and Monique killed it out there. I think you were holding back in the practices I was there to see."

Kim's smirk widened a bit as she placed a matching kiss on his cheek. "Well we had to, Ronnie. Couldn't let you see all our tricks."

At that moment a tone came over the green room speakers signaling that the show was about to resume, so Kim gave Ron one last peck (this one on the lips and causing him to swoon a bit) and headed back to the west-side green room for the announcement of the finalists. Although she didn't have to rush, she made it back just in time for the campus network broadcast to resume.

"And we're back," commented Billy Harris. "As you know, this year was one of the fiercest competitions we've ever had in the history of the G.V.U. Annual Spring Talent Bash. In fact, the judges tell me it was extremely difficult for them to narrow it down to five finalists, and near impossible to select a winner. Now, before we continue, let me remind you what the judging criteria is for this. Scores for the acts are based on entertainment value, crowd acceptance, and overall creativity. Now, here, in no particular order, are your finalists."

"Here it comes," Monique breathed out as she and Kim grasped hands in anticipation.

"Our first finalist of the night is…Vladimir Roscoyovich and his dual-Ventriloquism act!"

There was the sound of applause as the student came back out carrying his two ventriloquist dummies, both dressed like Russian citizens.

"Next, we have…'The Blues Sisters'—Kim Possible and Monique Robinson!"

For a moment Kim and Monique were speechless, but that didn't last long as they both elicited a squeal of happiness and headed out to the stage, both of them wearing grins that could put Ron's best to shame.

"Our next act to go to the final round tonight… Sakina Rangarajan, with her presentation of a traditional Sword Dance from India."

Sakina came out on stage and entered the third spotlight, still wearing her many swords and blades. The light sparkling off each one only served to make her more impressive looking.

"Our fourth finalist tonight…'The Dreidel Gang', featuring members of our G.V.U. Hebrew Association!"

Ron and Eli's group came out, the blonde exchanging a thumbs-up with his fiancée as he took his place with his performance troupe.

"And our fifth finalist tonight… the G.V.U. Council of Native American Students, for their presentation of a medley of Native American dances!"

A group of seven students came out, all dressed in stunningly magnificent celebratory Native American dance costumes…though thankfully they had removed the larger parts of the outfits they had worn during their performance.

Billy stepped forward once more. "Alright, there you have your five finalists. However, only one may take home the Talent Bash Trophy. The judges tell me it was a close race, but that in the end one act managed to set themselves above the rest. Your winner this year is…Sakina Rangarajan!"

The rest of the finalists—Kim, Ron, and Monique included—all joined in the thunderous applause that erupted from the audience as the girl from a small village just outside of Bombay, India stepped forward to receive her prize. Kim would have liked to win, but she couldn't fault the judges for their pick, as Sakina's moves with the blades had been truly a sight to behold. Not to mention the move of setting the swords on fire was one Kim wouldn't have willingly tried unless she was being forced to do so.

Billy Harris smiled as Sakina rejoined the line holding her trophy. "Congratulations to all our participants, who helped make this the most successful Talent Bash in G.V.U. history. And I'm not just blowing smoke, people—I've just been informed that this was the first ever _sell-out crowd_ that Reese Hall has ever seen! And don't forget that all that money raised goes to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which aids those people in this state who are less fortunate. So congratulations all, and we'll see you next year!"

As the lights came up in the rest of the hall and the crowd began to exit while the participants turned to head back to the wings, a couple of voices rang out just loud enough for a few key people to hear.

"Kim, Ron, Monique!" Anne called, her voice joined by those of Gene Stoppable and Jamal Robinson.

"Hey, our families are here!" Monique exclaimed.

Kim and Ron smiled as they headed towards the side exit off the stage that led into the audience. Indeed, both sets of parents and Monique's brother were there, Jean Stoppable carrying Hana while the little girl laughed and clapped happily.

"Hey, you three, great show," Jamal remarked. "Personally, I think the trophy should have gone to one of your acts."

Kim shook her head as she was released from a dual-hug from her parents. "No, Sakina definitely deserved it. She was ferociously amazing with her both her sword-work and her footwork."

"Well, be that as it may," Gene replied, "I still say it wasn't as good as you and Monique or as good as Ronald's group. And speaking of which, Ronald, someone else came to see your act as well."

At that moment a man detached himself from the crowd behind the families and stepped forward to shake Ron's hand. His brown beard was pointed, and his dark black yarmulke matched the black wire frames of his glasses.

"Ronald, that was simply hilarious. And I must say I don't think you did anything in poor taste."

"Thanks, Rabbi Katz," Ron replied as he stuck his hand forward to shake hands with the man. "To tell the truth, I was worried there for a bit that we'd offend our faith when we flubbed some of the dance moves, but if you didn't see anything wrong I guess we did okay."

The young man's Temple elder laughed. "To be honest, Ronald, I didn't even notice the mess up, so I would say you did just fine. Speaking of which, though, are you still on for speaking next Friday night to our Young Person's Torah Study class? I know a couple of them in particular would like the chance to talk to you before they go through their _Bar Mitzvahs_ and _Bat Mitzvahs_."

Ron nodded. "Of course I am. I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

Jean suddenly popped her forehead with her free hand. "Oh, that's right, I'd forgotten all about you speaking at that."

"Is there a problem, Mrs. S.?" Kim asked.

Ron's mother sighed. "Well, not really. It's just that since Gene won 'Actuary of the Year' last year, he has to be at this year's banquet to present to this year's winner. And since the dinner is this coming Friday and you kids would be starting your Spring Break, I was hoping Ron could watch Hana for us."

"I can do it," Kim replied with a smile. "After all, I was probably going to be just sitting at home until Ron gets done talking to the class at your synagogue. So it should be no big. Right, Mom?"

Anne smiled, and Kim could see the proud look in both her mother's and her father's eyes.

"I don't see why not," the elder Possible woman replied.

"Shouldn't be a problem," James added. "After all, Jim and Tim won't be home either."

"Then it's settled," Gene replied.

Monique smiled as she eyed Hana with a smirk. "You sure you can handle a Super Ninja Baby by yourself, girl?"

Kim grinned. "Hey, I can do anything. Besides, I already know by now what all she can do, so there shouldn't be any surprises, right?"

* * *

A week later, Kim and Ron packed up what they'd need for the week, making extra sure to grab all their mission gear. They even included the battle suits, despite the fact that both were still on the fritz from the clash with the WEE just after New Years. Wade had about reached the point that he was willing to completely redesign them, and had made it known that had he not been training all his resources on tracking the whereabouts and activities of DNAmy and Bates he would have been doing exactly that…if Kim didn't force him into bed first. Out of all of them, Wade seemed the most frustrated that they hadn't picked up any new information on the villainous duo, and that irritation was spilling over into other projects he had been working on.

"I'm serious, guys, it's really starting to bug me that I can't pin down this power failure thing," the tech genius quipped with an annoyed tone over the Sloth's built-in Kimmunicator as Kim and Ron made the drive from Upperton back to Middleton. "I mean, first it was 'Version 1.0' getting glitchy and randomly powering down or firing up the shields, and now 'Version 2.0' is going crazy all because of a little brush with Ron's MMP."

"It wasn't little, Wade," Kim replied. "No offense to you, Ron, but that was more like a full-on slam with the MMP. Speaking of which, have you gotten the results back yet, Wade?"

The young man shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. What little data I was able to get off examining Ron's suit still didn't fill in all the holes. I mean, I know there's a scientific way to analyze Ron's abilities, but every time I try the MMP shorts out my instruments before I can get a clear reading."

"Maybe Sensei knows something," Ron supplied with a helpful smile. "After all, he seems to know the most about what the Mystical Monkey Power is and what it's really capable of."

"Speaking of Sensei," Kim cut in as she passed a slow-moving big rig, "have we gotten any word from Yori and Hirotaka about more monkey ninja attacks over at the Yamanouchi School?"

"No, we haven't," Wade replied with a seemingly aggravated glance to the side. "And I'm willing to bet it's because they're going to coordinate their kidnapping of Sensei with their snatching of Rufus."

"Well, Rufus will be with KP tonight while I'm at the synagogue talking to the Young Person's Torah Study class, so I doubt anything'll go wrong tonight as far as we're concerned," Ron replied. "Still, I'm worried about it just the same."

Kim smiled and reached over to grasp his hand. "Don't worry, Ron. We won't let anything happen to Rufus."

Ron smiled at the reassurance, and by the time Kim dropped him off at the synagogue that evening he seemed to have been able to push the problem of Rufus being taken to the back of his mind. Less than ten minutes later Kim pulled the Sloth into the Stoppable's driveway and got out, carrying what she had come to call her "Babysitter's Survival Kit". Inside this bag was every single trick, toy, and distraction she'd ever found to be successful in her babysitting duties, and as of yet it had yet to fail her. However, she was also well aware that Hana Stoppable was no ordinary little toddler.

The evening started out fine. When Kim arrived, Ron's parents were very nearly ready to go, and the usual banter about emergency numbers and house rules took very little time given how well she knew them and they knew her. Hana of course looked extremely happy to see her brother's girlfriend, and immediately latched on to Kim with little trouble—there wasn't even the normal difficult goodbyes between parents and child that Kim normally had to deal with. Maybe it was because the little girl already saw the red-head as something of a sister, and so didn't feel like she was being left with someone she couldn't trust.

One of the first things Kim did was to check on the status of various safety devices, even though she knew the Stoppables kept their house in a state of impeccable child-safety. Although it was a normal thing for any parent of a young child to do, with a super-secret ninja baby it was an absolute must. Satisfied, Kim pulled out a DVD of Hana's favorite kid's show group, The Flippies, and set the little girl down with it. Then, employing her secret weapon for the evening (Rufus as a second pair of eyes) she headed into the kitchen to make dinner. Despite her normal kitchen woes, the one thing Kim Possible had never had trouble with was preparing meals for younger kids…just as long as she prepared their dinners separate from her own. For her own sustenance, the young woman normally just ordered out, usually preferring to use her own money for the task as opposed to money the parents of her charges might give her for the purpose.

Around a half-hour later, Kim had Hana seated in her highchair with a plate of cut-up fish sticks and a side of veggie medley while she herself dug into some cuisine from the local Chinese delivery. Rufus, meanwhile, was plowing through a medium-size Cheese Monster pizza from J.P. Bearymore's—the one pie from the place that didn't always smell like it had been cooked several minutes past the point of burnt. Hana giggled happily as she ate, and Kim was surprised to note she hadn't realized when exactly the little girl had picked up her brother's tendency to put away more food than her small frame should have allowed. As it was, Hana was already on her third plate while the red-head was just barely through her rice and stir-fry chicken with vegetables and barely started on her egg drop soup.

"You just wait till you get to be my age, Hana," Kim replied with a playful little poke at the giggling girl's tummy. "Might want to think about slowing down so you don't embarrass the boys by out-eating them."

Shortly after that, the meal was finished, and Kim released the toddler from her highchair. Hana toddled off to play with her dolls in the living room while Kim cleaned up the kitchen, once more employing Rufus as a second set of eyes. As she washed the plates in the sink, she glanced out the blinds on the back window towards the woods behind the Stoppable house…and immediately dropped the soapy dishes with a loud CLANG! She couldn't be sure, but she thought she'd seen movement in the trees. She quickly reached out to pull a blind down so she could get a better look out the window, and sighed when she saw only the darkness.

_C'mon, Kim, get a grip_, she told herself. _There's nothing out there but the usual wildlife_.

And so she turned back to the living room, not even seeing the shadows with tails that detached themselves from the trees they had been using for cover.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Bates grinned evilly as one of the monkey ninjas reported back to him where he waited approximately a hundred yards from the Stoppable house.

"And you're sure of that?" he replied with a delighted smirk. "You're sure that at least two of the targets are inside?"

The monkey ninja gestured wildly in the affirmative.

"This is simply brilliant!" the butler replied with a cackle. "And it means we don't have to divide our forces near as much.

Quickly he pulled out a radio and switched it on.

"Butler to Zookeeper," he called into it.

"Do you have to use those?" DNAmy's voice crackled over the speaker.

"They're codenames," Bates spat out. "In case certain annoying young computer geniuses are listening for us."

"Fine, what do you want?"

"Send some of your abominations over here. I have two of the targets in my sights, and will need more than the Master's pupils to take them."

"_I told you to STOP calling my babies that!_" the rogue bio-geneticist screeched furiously over the radio. "_If you do it again, I'll turn them on YOU!_"

"Fine," he growled. "Regardless, send them over here NOW!"

"I will, but I'm only doing it because I want Monty-kins back," she huffed, not at all sounding like she was satisfied with the situation.

A short while later Bates was surprised to see not only the Orangupi, but their creator as well.

"What are you doing _here_?" he bristled. "Once we take these two the third target will be alerted immediately."

DNAmy merely frowned. "Hmph. For your information, Bates, the third target won't be a problem, despite not being where they were supposed to be. The intelligence the monkey ninjas brought us while under _your_ guidance was wrong. So I sent my Tigorillas to Yamanouchi to procure the final things we'll need. And who knows—the third target may already be there for them to take."

"Fine, we'll take them after we've secured these two," Bates replied with a sinister grin. "And speaking of which, are you sure your Tigorillas will be successful in leading your other…creations on their mission to that accursed school?"

The short woman smiled. "Of course I'm sure. I took extra precaution to insure that the Tigorillas are much smarter than the regular gorillas I employed when I was searching for Monty-kins a few years ago. They shouldn't have any problems whatsoever dealing with those troublesome ninja and acquiring what we need for Cuddle Monkey's return."

"Very well," the Fiske family butler grinned nastily. "Then let us proceed to gather the two targets we have inside."

* * *

On the opposite side of the world Master Sensei paced in his room, agitation in every single step the normally serene old man took. Though he did not know why, the very winds blowing through the Yamanouchi School this evening seemed ominous. He of course had his suspicions, but his long experience as master of the school had taught him many times over to never rush to conclusions. As the camouflaged spider waited for its prey to come to it, so he should wait for the answers to reveal themselves when they were ready. Still, it did not make him feel any calmer, especially when he knew what would soon come to pass…

At that moment, his thoughts were invaded by a loud commotion from out in the courtyard. Tightening the golden yellow belt around his red master's robe and making sure his sandals were secure, Master Sensei reached for the paper door to open it and proceed out into the grounds to investigate. Mere seconds before he could open it, however, it was slid open from the other side. Standing there with a surprised yet determined look was Yori, her breathing just slightly heightened as if she had sprinted from her quarters on the other side of the school to the opening of his door.

"Sensei, they have arrived!" she exclaimed with grim determination. "Forces similar to the ones that Possible-chan and Stoppable-san advised us may come for you have begun assaulting the school. We have begun a defense, but Hirotaka, myself, and a few of the teachers feel it would be wisest if you remain here in your quarters. I will be outside the door as a last line, but Hiro-san is leading the counter-attack and is confident they will never make it inside."

Master Sensei nodded. "Very good, Yori. And I will do as you ask. However, I would also recommend you send a few students and at least one of the instructors to protect the armory and rare artifacts rooms. I sense that this attack may be merely a distraction."

"Yes, Sensei, it will be done," the kunoichi replied with a quick bow before she slid the door closed once more.

Turning around, the Yamanouchi master returned to the center of the main room of his quarters and took up a meditative lotus position. Taking a deep breath, he expanded his senses so that he could monitor the battle. Although the creatures he felt invading the grounds were unusual and probably terrifying in their appearance, Sensei was pleased to note that all of his students were facing the threat bravely. Hirotaka seemed the most ferocious in his defense of the school, and the elder teacher smiled as he felt his top male student assuming the role of leader with a serious nature by confronting the most dangerous beasts himself. However, there was something about the attack that bothered Master Sensei—although the attack was fierce, he could sense no efforts from the main force to push farther forward into the school.

_Something about this is not right_, he thought worriedly. _What could their true objective be?_

* * *

Kim smiled as she played with Hana. Grinning to herself, the red-head found her mind drifting to what it would be like to play with her own children. As they did, Kim was struck by the notion that the children she had with Ron were going to be offspring of a constantly active world hero and a "Chosen One" brimming with Mystical Monkey Power…meaning they were probably going to be the most hyperactive children on the planet. Considering that, Hana's normal antics were beginning to seem like a pretty good warm-up.

Speaking of Hana, the little girl seemed to be remarkably calm this evening, so far having taken only twelve trips up the walls and around the ceiling. Whoops, make that thirteen…

"Gotcha!" Kim declared with a triumphant smile as she leapt up to snatch a giggling Hana off the wall before she could reach the ceiling.

"Kim-Kim flying! Kim-Kim flying!" Hana replied with a cute laugh and a clapping of her hands.

"Not quite," the red-head replied with a smile as she hugged her love's adoptive sister warmly.

Over on the couch, Rufus was rolling with laughter at the spectacle. Kim gave him an eyes-rolling smile, and set Hana down with a coloring book she'd pulled out of her "Babysitter's Survival Kit". Surprisingly, Hana went straight for it, laughing happily as she began coloring in the pictures. Despite previous problems Kim had experienced with watching Hana by herself, this night actually seemed half-way normal.

Unfortunately, that notion was shattered a few moments later by a loud _CRUNCH!_ from the front door. Immediately sensing that something was wrong, Kim quickly picked up Hana and motioned for Rufus to follow before dashing up the stairs to Ron's room. Setting the little girl there, she took a deep breath.

"Okay, Hana, you stay here with Rufus while I go check on what that was. And Rufus, I'm counting on you to keep her up here until I get back."

"Hnk, aye-aye!" the mole rat declared as he gave her a military salute.

Kim patted him appreciatively on his head and kissed the top of Hana's before stealthily making her way down the stairs. What she saw chilled her but also strengthened her resolve. Standing just inside the front door were both Bates and DNAmy, the both of them looking on while a squad of monkey ninjas ran around the Stoppable house trashing the place and apparently searching for something. Somehow they hadn't yet noticed her, but Kim knew her window of surprising them wouldn't last long. Quick as a flash, she leapt down over the railing that prevented one from falling off the second floor.

"Alright, what are you two doing here in Ron's house?" she snapped.

"Kim Possible," DNAmy remarked evilly. "Still a problem in my plans, but not for long."

"Miss Possible," Bates declared with a decidedly sadistic glare. "It has been a while. Ever since the night your friend usurped the power meant solely for my master, I believe."

"Technically it's been longer than that, buddy," she spat as she dropped into a fighting stance. "I haven't seen you since Monkey Fist disguised himself and stole that idol you hired me to retrieve. What you saw the night he and Ron got the MMP was only a hologram of me. In other words, you and your master got your butts handed to you solely by Ron and Rufus."

"Very observant, little girl," the stocky man replied. "In which case I think it high time we did have a go at each other."

"Hey, I'm not little," Kim growled. "And from what Ron's told me, you've got about as much fighting skill as a wet sock. In other words, taking you down is even less than a 'No big' sitch."

"Maybe so," he snarled. "But then, I'm not the one you'll be fighting. Monkey ninjas, take her down and bring me that little Japanese girl!"

"Wait, Hana? What do you want with her?" Kim shouted as the simian fighting squad swarmed towards her. Then the sickening realization dawned on her.

"Hana's the one you need for the 'Monkey's Baton' ritual!" she declared in a horrified tone as she laid out three of the monkeys with a low and sweeping roundhouse kick. "She's got MMP but doesn't yet show the signs of it!"

"Precisely," Bates declared. "And her blood is necessary for the Lord's revival."

"I'll never let you take her!" Kim screamed as she socked another of the monkey ninjas before flipping over the railing of the stairs to block their way.

"You don't have a choice, my dear girl," he replied with a laugh.

"He's right," declared DNAmy behind him. "Even if you can take all of Cuddle Monkey's students, there's no way you'll be able to take on all _five_ of my Orangupi by yourself!"

"What part of, 'She can do anything' don't you people get?" Kim yelled with her usual bravado as she tossed a monkey into its compatriots, although she had to admit to herself that the rogue geneticist had a point—if she was going to win this, she was going to need help.

She began to reach for her Kimmunicator on her wrist when she was aghast to discover it wasn't there! Ducking low and throwing out a pair of twin backhand chops to clear the crowd in front of her, she glanced around for it…and saw Bates holding it by the broken wrist strap with a confident smile on his face. Somehow, one of the monkey ninjas had snapped it off her wrist without her noticing and presented it to the Fiske family butler.

"Looking for this?" he queried nastily. "It seems you've been left a choice, Miss Possible. One, you can come down off the stairs to retrieve your device, which its not guaranteed you can do thanks to Amelia's creations, and thereby allow us to head up them to where you've obviously stashed the little girl who is responsible for my Lord's imprisonment and take her. Or two, you continue this feeble attempt to face all of our forces by yourself, which you will also be unsuccessful at, and we take her anyway once you are defeated. Either way, you _will_ lose this confrontation."

"_So not gonna happen!_" the red-head yelled defiantly, curling her hand in a "Bring it!" gesture before renewing her attacks.

Unfortunately, the sheer number of monkey ninjas was pushing her inevitably backwards. Every time she took a step back for a big move, as was her normal fighting style, the gap left after the move was immediately filled by more monkey ninjas. Despite all her previous success in dealing with them, the size of the force was proving difficult to handle. Not to mention that with so many simian hands and feet flying at her, it was impossible to block them all. That meant that some were invariably getting through her defenses, and the blows were anything but love taps. Had it been normal henchmen, Kim might have had less of a problem with the unfavorable odds. However, these were monkey ninjas, which translated to half-the-size and double-the-fight-training of the normal Hench Co. flunkies.

Kim kept her attack pressed, but still the primate warriors continued to advance. Before long, she found herself on the second-floor a mere step from heading up the stairs to Ron's attic bedroom. Glancing around during a momentary pause, she got a quick idea. She'd have to be fast, but maybe there was a way for her, Hana, and Rufus to get out of this mess. Quickly, the red-head threw out three rapidly spinning kicks, one right after the other like a spinning top of fierce legs, the speed and intensity knocking the attacking horde back a few feet. Then she turned and sprinted up the stairs, bolting the door to Ron's room behind her yet knowing it wouldn't hold them for long.

"Rufus! Time to go!" she shouted as threw every lock possible and then pushed a heavy trunk in front of the door to further slow them down.

Then she ran over and she picked up Hana. As she did that, Rufus scrambled into her hip pocket and secured himself.

"Kim-Kim?" Hana asked in a timid voice, the look in the little girl's eyes one of fear and uncertainty.

"It's gonna be okay, Hana," Kim reassured her as calmly as she could. "I promise I won't let them hurt us."

* * *

_a/n_

_This chapter actually came out relatively quick compared to the ones before it, although I still kept it back for a week to make sure I had proofread as much as possible and to make sure that there weren't any holes. However, now it's ready to be perused and reviewed._

_- So the endgame has begun to take form._

_- Will Yori, Hirotaka, and the other ninja succeed at protecting Sensei?_

_- Another of the __targets has been revealed. But what do Bates and DNAmy plan to do with Hana if they manage to capture her?_

_- What is Kim's plan for escape, and will it be successful?_

_- More importantly, how will Ron react when he finds out the villains are targeting his baby sister?_

_For the answers to these questions and more, don't miss the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**!_

_And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_For those curious, here are some YouTube links to the songs used in the Talent Bash, as well as a link to the inspiration for Rufus's outfit. Once again, you'll have to replace the **(dot)** with a period (**.**):_

_www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=N0K11zztdL4 : "Harmonica Musings" – John Popper_

_www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=uR5l24U5z3o : "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" – Blues Brother's version_

_www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=mBOqaroAUKU&feature=related : "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" – Weird Al Yankovic_

_www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=khJ0GxYBeLs : "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi – Rabbi Tuckman"_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Just a bit of notice to those who follow these stories, I'll be moving from Colorado back to Arkansas by the end of the month. Unfortunately, financial and personal problems have forced this decision to come now rather than later. I'm hoping that it won't affect my production here, but if it does rest assured that I will be finding some way of completing this tale as soon as possible._

_Also, I've been nominated for a couple different awards in the 2010 Fannies! (Yes, the Fannies are still alive!) If you're curious about what I've been nominated for, or simply want to check out what's going on, check out the "Kim Possible Discussion" forum here on this site. And to those who nominated me and/or my stories, THANK YOU! *bows humbly*_


	42. Chapter 42

A/N

Chapter 42 is up and running!

- Kim finds herself in a desperate situation, and she's running out of options to get herself, Hana, and Rufus out of danger.

- The battle at Yamanouchi is drawing to a close...but is Sensei the real target, or is something else on the acquistion list?

- Wade realizes what he's missed, and the implications of that oversight.

- Ron reacts to the attack on Kim, Hana, and Rufus.

- And finally, one of the villains seems to be having some second thoughts.

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Kim kept her attack pressed, but still the primate warriors continued to advance. Before long, she found herself on the second-floor a mere step from heading up the stairs to Ron's attic bedroom. Glancing around during a momentary pause, she got a quick idea. She'd have to be fast, but maybe there was a way for her, Hana, and Rufus to get out of this mess. Quickly, the red-head threw out three rapidly spinning kicks, one right after the other like a spinning top of fierce legs, the speed and intensity knocking the attacking horde back a few feet. Then she turned and sprinted up the stairs, bolting the door to Ron's room behind her yet knowing it wouldn't hold them for long.

"Rufus! Time to go!" she shouted as threw every lock possible and then pushed a heavy trunk in front of the door to further slow them down.

Then she ran over and she picked up Hana. As she did that, Rufus scrambled into her hip pocket and secured himself.

"Kim-Kim?" Hana asked in a timid voice, the look in the little girl's eyes one of fear and uncertainty.

"It's gonna be okay, Hana," Kim reassured her as calmly as she could. "I promise I won't let them hurt us."

Even with the confidence in her voice, however, the red-head felt a genuine concern growing. Despite the revelation that Hana was one of the targets, Kim hadn't failed to notice how Bates and D.N. Amy hadn't seemed particularly eager to have their troops push past her defenses on the stairway. It was almost as if the villains were savoring the moment, waiting patiently for the moment they could claim a victory over her and then rub her face in it. Not to mention she suspected they didn't know Rufus was with her, else the attack would probably have been more fierce and pressing. There was also something else about this attack, something that didn't feel quite right which she couldn't quite put her finger on. Regardless of how she sliced it the sitch definitely looked bleak, yet Kim was determined to get all three of them out safely…or to at least buy some time so she could somehow get a call out to Wade or Ron.

Wait…get a call out! Originally Kim had been planning to simply escape the house, but now that she thought she'd found a way to pull a victory out of this mess the red-head became focused on also finding some way of getting word to her mission support network. After all, she'd already realized that this probably wasn't a sitch she could manage on her own. Not to mention that if she did manage to escape the Stoppable house, Bates and D.N. Amy would simply follow her and Hana (and Rufus as well, once they realized he was with the two girls) to wherever they might go and continue the fight. But if she could pull her friends in to back her up, it might still be possible to snatch a win out of this craziness.

_Okay now think, Possible!_ she told herself. _The closest phone is downstairs in the kitchen. And there's got to be some way out of this room and back into the house below to reach it._

The stairs she had come up were obviously out, as any second that door was going to give way and the simian warriors would come swarming forth once more. Glancing around, her eyes settled on the window out to the roof. Smiling grimly, she raced over to the glass pane, lifting it open with one hand while holding Hana as securely as possible in her other arm. Slowly, cautiously, she stuck her head out to check the ground below. Sure enough, there were monkey ninjas swarming all over the front yard, which incidentally already had so many pits and divots from the villains trampling it that it looked like a polo field after a hard-fought match. A few were even swarming over and around the Sloth, and it looked like they were in midst of sabotaging her vehicle so she couldn't use it to escape. And yet the damage they were doing the simians were moving so silently that it somehow didn't surprise the red-head none of the neighbors had seen them—if it weren't for her sharp vision, even she wouldn't have noticed them.

Kim was tempted to call out into the night for help, but two things prevented that—one, it would alert the monkey ninjas to the fact there was another way into the house and make the sitch much more problematic; and two, she was well aware that her neighborhood (while normally bustling with people) was typically empty on Friday nights except for the elderly who went to bed early as people went out for the evening that started off the weekend. The second thing was actually part of the reason Kim had felt so out of place when Ron had cancelled their normal Friday night plans to hang with Felix so they could train for the Zombie Mayhem Jamboree a couple years earlier, but now wasn't the time to think about stuff like that.

"Okay, Hana, here we go," she told the little girl with as calm a voice as she could manage.

"Kim-Kim?" the toddler said nervously.

"It's okay," the red-head reassured her as she cautiously slipped out the window into the night and onto the sloping roof. "We just have to be quiet."

The shingles were slightly slick under her tennis shoes, but years of running on all sorts of terrain and surfaces in all sorts of weather had trained Kim Possible to find her footing as quickly and easily as a bighorn sheep on a precarious mountain ledge. As stealthily as possible, she made her way across the roof towards the closest window that would take both her, Hana, and Rufus down to the second floor. Upon reaching it, the young woman tried to open it, but found it locked against her entry. Knowing she couldn't break it quietly and blowing out her frustration in a single breath she quickly kept going to the next window, well aware that soon the monkey ninjas that had chased her up the stairs would break through the door to Ron's bedroom and continue their pursuit. Unfortunately she found all the front windows to have the same problem—every single one had been locked tight, and she wouldn't be able to open any of them silently. Glancing at the window she had exited she made a snap decision, rushing past it and up over the apex of the roof.

So far the villains' assault seemed concentrated on the front of the house, so that the backyard had a calming air which contrasted greatly with the chaos going on out front and within the halls of the house. Kim quickly tried all of the windows that stuck out the back of the roof, and found no further luck with them than she had with the ones on the front of the house. She cautiously made her way to the edge of the roof and leaned out over the gutters to glance at the ground below, deciding as she did so that it was her only option.

"Rufus, make sure you're secure," she warned the mole rat.

"Hnk, good to go," he chittered from his position in her pocket.

"It's okay, Hana," the red-head comforted the little girl as she held her tight in both arms. "We're just gonna do a little drop."

"Kay," Hana replied with a slight nervousness.

Though she remained unusually quiet, the sheer amount of bravery the toddler was showing was something Kim found herself very grateful for. Most kids Hana's age would probably have been crying and screaming their heads off, which would have made it much more difficult since the noise would have given away their location instantly. Smiling comfortingly, Kim pulled her closer, and then squatted on the roof preparing to drop the eight to ten feet off the edge to the ground below. Just at the moment, there was the sound from the front of the house of Ron's bedroom door finally giving way, and Kim heard Bates cursing loudly.

"You flea-brained idiots, you let them escape! Get after them this instant!"

Shortly after, there was the sound of the monkey ninjas swarming out the window, and Kim knew they would soon realize she had crossed to the back of the roof. That meant it was now or never. Making sure Hana was as secure as possible (and well aware she would need to protect the little girl before herself if she landed awkwardly at all and was forced to roll out), Kim made the small leap off the ledge. The landing was a bit rough, but Hana remained calm as Kim only needed a short hop before finding her footing fairly quickly. Glancing at the house, she saw monkeys in every single downstairs window.

The knowledge that the Stoppable house was now teeming with monkey ninjas and genetic creations pushed all ideas of making the call for help from one of the phones inside out of the red-head's mind, and she quickly started making her way towards the back fence and the cover of the forest beyond. If she were lucky, she could make her foes lose her trail in the woods and then she could double back to get to a phone. However, she'd barely gone two yards towards the trees when she spotted _multiple_ Orangupi and several of another D.N. Amy creation she didn't recognize (they looked something like a cross between a tiger and a gorilla) beginning to spill out of the trees.

"Oh, c'mon," she complained under her breath as she backpedaled and turned for the house once more. "You couldn't have made yourselves more apparent _before_ I jumped off the roof?"

* * *

Meanwhile at the Yamanouchi School, the assault seemed to be drawing to a close. Everywhere one looked, the students and instructors seemed to be having more and more success with pushing back these…creatures, many of which seemed to be combinations of several different animals rolled into one. In fact, amidst the clashing of swords, staffs, and other various weapons with the claws and teeth of the opponents, it almost seemed like the unnatural foes were growing tired of the fight.

"Push forward!" commanded Hirotaka over the roar of the battle as his Bo staff connected with three of the larger, striped…gorilla-like creatures in one swipe. "Drive them out of our home!"

There was large roar of enthusiasm from the shinobi and kunoichi defending the school courtyard, and a ripple effect began to take hold. All over, the ninja began forcing their enemies backwards, towards the gate that led out to the rope bridge. Several of the creatures even began to turn and flee, seeming to have decided that the assault of the ninja weapons was simply too much.

All at once, the largest of the striped, gorilla-like things gave a large roar, and those that had maintained the battle while their compatriots fled suddenly turned and began retreating themselves! All over, the Yamanouchi residents continued the defensive advance, but it was now a mere formality as it appeared that all of the creatures seemed to be stampeding for the exit and across the bridge to get away from the attacks. As he watched them go, Hirotaka smiled at the apparent victory they had achieved.

"We have won!" he declared as he raised his staff above his head triumphantly.

"No, we have not, Hirotaka-san," came a calm, serene voice from behind him. "They have managed to acquire that which they sought."

The shinobi turned to find Master Sensei standing there at the entrance to the main building, his mouth in a frown and his eyes filled with worry as he gazed out over the multitude of shinobi, kunoichi, and instructors who had fought so valiantly.

"But Master Sensei, they never came close to your quarters. And the very fact that you stand here before me confirms our victory."

"No, he is right, Hiro-san," called Yori as she emerged behind the Yamanouchi master, a somber look on her face. "We were deceived. Sensei was not their objective this day."

"Then what was?" Hirotaka replied with his face filled with confusion.

"They have attacked the armory and the rare artifacts chamber," Sensei replied with a grieved and sorrowful voice. "Shishio-san, Taka-chan, and Instructor Koyashi were overtaken and slain as they attempted a defense, all of them brought down by one of our most revered treasures. Given these facts, do you see through the mists of deception, my student?"

The shinobi's face fell as the true objective of the monsters they had fought became clear to him. "They sought the Lotus Blade."

"Yes," the wizened old master replied. "And now they are that much closer to their goal. We may only hope that their other objectives this night proved more difficult to achieve."

"Other objectives?" questioned Yori. "What do you mean, Sensei?"

"Although the forces were great, my students, did none of you notice that the invading army did not have a general this day?"

Hirotaka's glance fell towards the ground. "Then we were twice-fooled, for the Lotus Blade was not the primary goal, and the assault on the Yamanouchi School was not the most important task that they needed to accomplish."

"No, it was not," Sensei replied. "And now there may be no chance to stop the sleeping demon from returning."

Yori glanced towards the gate and out, even now seeing the bridge leading across the chasm still swaying from the retreating beasts. "Then we must inform Possible-chan and Stoppable-san at once."

"If it is not already too late to do so," agreed the Yamanouchi head in an ominous tone.

* * *

Wade groaned as he rubbed his tired eyes, the fatigue of staring at a computer screen nonstop for so long beginning to get to him. Ever since Kim had dropped Ron off at the Middleton synagogue and simultaneously told the tech genius to stop worrying about both the battle suit problems and the lack of information he'd found on Bates and D.N. Amy, Wade had been going over the research he'd already done on the Monkey Fist sitch. For some reason, Kim's comment that his lack of informed research was, "No big," had bothered him more than it usually would. He knew Kim was being sincere in her remark, and that she and Ron appreciated all he'd done so far, but the fact that he'd been relatively useless with this whole mission was really starting to grate on his nerves…not to mention he couldn't shake the feeling he'd missed something crucial.

And so he'd spent the last few hours going over every single bit of information and every lead he'd acquired up to that point. As he worked, he mentally kept track of everything:

_Okay, so in order to bring Monkey Fist back, they're going to need to perform two rituals: the "Ritual of Living Stone" and "The Monkey's Baton". For the "Living Stone" one, they need the one who is known to possess the Mystical Monkey Power but isn't a master of it. And we know that has to be Rufus. And in order for it to work, they need the Amulet of Shangorilla draped around Rufus's neck, which they've already acquired because Monkey Fist's ancestor Lord Reginald Fiske was the last one who was known for sure to possess it. Probably what started Monkey Boy on the whole obsession with Tai Sheng Pek Kwar in the first place, if I had to make a guess. Anyway, put Rufus with the amulet in the beam of the Dark Moon, known as the New Moon in the modern day, and have the beam that emanates hit the Imprisoned One. That'll allow Bates and D.N. Amy to restore Monkey Fist to some form of life, and will make him like a statue with human vulnerabilities. And without a correct and successful performing of it first, the second ritual won't do any good._

_The other ritual, "The Monkey's Baton", requires the blood of the one who has MMP but shows no signs of it. And that's most likely Sensei—after all, a lot of what he can do seems pretty close to what Ron's capable of. They also need the Vizier's Dagger of Chimpanzania, dipped in that blood, and then drawn across the Seal of the Yono on the hand of the one who is trapped by the Yono's curse. At which point the Imprisoned One must quickly take the Vizier's Dagger and must choose his replacement which he then draws the transfer symbol on in the same blood which has broken the Seal of the Yono…wait a minute…_

Examining the second ritual, Wade blinked a few times to make sure he'd read that right. Every time he'd studied the "Monkey's Baton" before, he'd been sure that the one who got cut by the Vizier's Dagger would be the one required to take the place of Monkey Fist under the Curse of the Yono. But now the tech genius realized that it would be necessary for Monkey Fist to choose _another_ to take his place as an immobile stone-like statue.

_Okay, that's a problem,_ Wade thought to himself. _If I missed that all this time because of my fatigue, what else have I missed?_

Immediately the young man headed upstairs to pour himself a cup of coffee to replace his usual soda. This he downed in a few gulps before heading back down to his basement bed room and beginning to go over every single piece or tidbit of research and information he had gathered to that point with a renewed vigor. After only a few minutes he'd found multiple things he'd failed to see in the first hundred looks at the two rituals. And with each new discovery, his worry and his anger at himself grew larger.

After all, he'd failed to notice that the victim used for the "Ritual of Living Stone", would be held fast and suspended in the air the entire time the black moon was in proper alignment in the sky each night, a full twenty-two minutes on Wednesday, the longest night the stars and new moon would be lined up correctly. He'd also missed that the one whose blood was needed for the "Monkey's Baton" had to have defeated the Dark Destroyer (_Which means the Yono, of course_, thought Wade bitterly) in some form prior to the ceremony, meaning that it was Hana and not Master Sensei of the Yamanouchi School who was needed for that one. And then there was the fact that since both of the victims of the rituals would be rendered immobile, a _third_ party would be needed to replace Monkey Fist under the Curse of the Yono.

"So not only are Bates and D.N. Amy willing to draw Hana's blood to bring about Monkey Fist's freedom from this thing, but they're also willing to trade another innocent person's life for that jerk," Wade voiced to his computer screen as he took a drink from the soda cup he always had sitting by his desk. "They are villains, I guess, but I never expected something like _this_ from these two."

At once a message flashed across the screen without the tech genius calling for it. That in and of its self would have normally unnerved Wade a little bit, but what bothered the young man even more was that the message was written in the same font that had invaded his systems just a few short months earlier:

_Hey, Wide Load,  
__If you know all this crap, why are you still sitting there doing nothing like a gringo loco? Get off your grande-sized butt and get to work letting the rest of your team know about it. And by the way, you're probably too late to tell your team leader what you know if MY scans are right. You know, you really ought to think about updating some of your systems if you hope to keep yourself and your friends ahead of the bad guys in this line of work.  
__C.A.M.  
__PS: How often do you expect me to bail you out of this kind of stuff, amigo? XP_

The swig of soda that the tech genius had been taking came spewing back out, spraying the computer screen. Thankfully, Wade had long ago water-proofed his entire set-up simply because he'd discovered pretty early on that this particular reaction of his seemed to be pretty common while working on missions with Kim and Ron. Still, as he stared at the screen through the dripping soda trails, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread. When the mysterious hacker had gotten into his systems back in December, Wade had been shocked by both the notion that he'd been hacked and by the fact that this enigmatic genius (and apparent rival) had been spot on with his or her information about Global Justice being connected to the disappearance of Heathcliff and Sheridan Godfrey. And now this "benefactor" (if they were really only trying to help like they claimed) was telling him that Kim might be in trouble—Kim, the very one who was supposedly the strongest link in the chain that was Team Possible.

As much as Wade didn't want to believe something was wrong with his friend, however, a strange prickling sensation was starting to creep up his neck and wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried to make it do so. Deciding he'd deal with this hacker at another time, the tech genius immediately pressed the call button that would link him directly to Kim's wrist Kimmunicator. He waited patiently as the seconds ticked by, but nothing came through. He was about to press the button again when he got the one message he'd always dreaded that he'd someday see for the first time:

SIGNAL LOST.

"Not good," Wade voiced with concern penetrating every level of his being.

However, he was not to be deterred, and hoped that maybe Kim had simply forgotten to charge the device again (_Have to put 'extending battery life without losing power output' on the list of things to work on improving for the Kimmunicator 3.0_, he thought bitterly), and that she just wasn't in a position to call him about it…although even Wade had to admit that wasn't something Kim was likely to do, not to mention a dead battery shouldn't have meant a lost signal. He quickly put in a call to the Stoppable house in an attempt to get the young woman on the phone, but all he got was the answering machine. He tried again, and again, but still the same result. Something wasn't right. Deciding to try a different tact and call Ron on his Kimmunicator, Wade was a mere inch away from pressing the call button for his friend's device when a call came in from the Kimmunicator system's fifth frequency—Yori's channel. The young man's hand immediately changed direction and flew to the receive button, hoping it was good news the young woman was calling him with. But his expression fell further when he saw the kunoichi's face appear on his screen with a decidedly grim look.

"Wade-san, I have troubling news to report. The Yamanouchi School has been attacked by the creatures you warned us about…why do you look so distressed, Wade-san?"

"I'll tell you in a bit. Did D.N. Amy and her creations get Sensei?" the tech genius queried with a worried tone.

"No, Master Sensei was not the target of this attack," the young woman replied. "And since the creatures never made any attempts to grab him, Hiro-san, Master Sensei, and I are no longer sure that he ever was a target. However, the creatures did manage to get what they apparently sought to gain—they have stolen the Lotus Blade. And stranger still, the one called D.N. Amy was not leading them—at least, I did not see the woman who kidnapped Sensei in an attempt to find Monkey Fist. The creatures actually appeared to be led by one of her larger creations…something like a cross between a tiger and a gorilla."

"Huh, that's a new one. Wait, if they didn't get Sensei, who are they planning to use for…Oh no!" he gasped as the possibility struck him like a thunderous lightning strike. "Yori, I have to check on something right away! Tell Master Sensei and the rest of Yamanouchi that Team Possible needs as much help as possible in locating the site where the "Ritual of Living Stone" and the "Monkey's Baton" have to be performed! And tell Sensei we have less than three days to find it!"

"What do you mean?" Yori replied with a slightly surprised and worried look.

"No time to explain now, but I promise I'll fill you in later," he answered quickly. "For now, just trust me when I say that we need to move fast if we want the good guys to come out on top this time."

"I will relay the message to Master Sensei at once," she confirmed, a stony determination fusing with the grimness she had been wearing as they severed their connection, almost as if she knew what he'd left unspoken.

Immediately after the call was completed Wade went into action, his fingers flying across his keyboards as he simultaneously contacted Ron and began a global scan for the locator signal of Kim's implanted microchip. He had just cleared all of Colorado and most of the United States (done in a matter of thirty seconds) when Ron finally picked up.

"Yo, Wade, what up?"

"No time for pleasantries, Ron. Where are you?"

"At the Middleton synagogue. Just got done talking to the Young Person's Torah Study class, and was waiting for KP to pick me up. She was actually supposed to be here about fifteen minutes ago, but I can't get through to her Kimmunicator to check what's going on."

"That's because she's probably not actually wearing hers, Ron," the tech genius replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "I'm getting a 'signal lost' on channel one of the Kimmunicator system."

The blonde young man's eyes went wide. "Wade, let's pretend I have no idea what that means."

Wade stared at his friend's face on the screen with a despondent look. "I don't know what it means either, Ron. I wish I could tell you I do, but I honestly don't—it's never happened before. What I do know is I can't get a hold of her the one way I normally can no matter what, and that she hasn't called me to tell me if there's a problem with her Kimmunicator."

"Wait," Ron said after a moment, "what if the battery's just dead? Like in September when KP and me went to see her uncle and grandmother in Montana? You know, when we asked Joss to…"

"No, Ron," Wade cut him off. "I still got signals from your Kimmunicators then. Right now, it's like Kim's device doesn't exist. Either that, or it's been heavily damaged far beyond the point of repair."

Ron frowned. "Alright, I'm gonna get to the house as fast as I can and check on her. I'll call you when I get there."

The connection was broken, and Wade sighed worriedly, wondering if he should have told Ron right away what Yori had shared or that he himself wasn't getting signals from Kim's locator chip. The intel from Yamanouchi could be a problem, but the tech genius was still convinced the loss of the locator beacon was due to the fact that his scan wasn't yet wide enough. Or maybe the signal was being blocked somehow. The tech genius supposed it was possible, but he'd yet to see anyone assemble the proper technology to do it. And the villainous pairing of Bates and D.N. Amy didn't seem at all like the type to think of something like that. Though if this sitch had done anything, however, it had proved that both evildoers were willing and able to go a bit farther than Team Possible had previously given them credit for.

Expanding his search and refining his frequency location equipment's parameters, Wade brought up a map of Middleton once more, and began scouring for the signals from the chips he'd implanted in the entire team. There was his own signal, at his house like he was, and there was Ron's traveling between the Middleton synagogue and the Stoppable house like it was supposed to be (_Looks like he's running the whole way_, thought Wade)…but no Kim at the house…and Rufus's signal wasn't with Ron either, something that struck the tech genius as rather odd. He pressed the zoom out, and the map zoomed out to a full Colorado map—but still it showed no sign of the signals belonging to Kim or Rufus. His panic rising but his nerves still relatively calm, Wade skipped over the United States view and went straight to the western hemisphere view. His own signal and Ron's could now be seen, as could Joss's beacon up in Montana, but still no indication anywhere of the team leader or of the smallest member of the team. In a last ditch effort, he pulled out farther to do a global scan, but still there was no indicator for the beacons belonging to his two missing friends.

"Definitely not good," he let out slowly. "Somehow they're being blocked. Either that or…"

Wade didn't want to even consider the other possibility. Although he'd rigged the locator beacons to change the signal they gave out if the sitch ever came about, it wasn't a scenario he was even remotely willing to look into just yet. Gritting his teeth, he tightened up the search parameters on his systems and began scanning again.

"C'mon, Kim and Rufus, where are you guys?"

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Ron had never run faster in his life. Like Wade, the fact that there was no signal coming from his love's wrist Kimmunicator when she was normally so careful with it worried him in ways that words would never be able to describe. It was at least a full fifteen-minute run between the synagogue the Stoppable family attended and their house (Ron had actually used the route a few times as a conditioning workout for football his senior year in high school), but this night it seemed so much longer and farther. And although his thighs and calves were burning in protest, he kept pushing himself to go faster, hoping with every thundering slap of his tennis shoes against the pavement that he would find Kim safe at his house and that she had merely been distracted by Hana's antics.

However, the moment his family's house came into view it was quickly apparent that this was not the case. The Sloth sat in the driveway, but it looked like the tires had been slashed open. The front yard had multiple divots in it, and the front door was slightly ajar while several of the front windows had been smashed. Glancing up as he approached, he saw his own bedroom window was open, and several places on the roof where it looked like shingles had been knocked loose by someone…or some_thing_ walking on them. He raced up the front walk, throwing open the door.

"Kim! Hana! Rufus!" he called multiple times in worried desperation as he rushed inside the house and began frantically searching.

The inside of the Stoppable home looked like a war zone, with furniture overturned and gashes in the carpeting. There were several dents in the walls, and a couple looked like something heavy had been thrown into the walls to cause them. The TV appeared to have been on the wrong end of a very large fist, and most of the lamps were crushed, bent, or snapped in half. The ceiling light fixture hung precariously by a few wires while a couple of the rods that held sconces looked like something had been swinging on them. All around the room, there were traces of monkey fur and orange clumps that had probably come from a couple of D.N. Amy's Orangupi.

"Monkeys," remarked Ron with a deathly serious and quiet tone. "And mutant monkeys."

Glancing around, he noticed an unusual amount of damage to the banisters leading up the stairs. Whatever had happened here involving the monkey ninjas, Kim had evidently put up a pretty good fight against it. Making his way up the stairs, Ron saw even more damage—apparently his love had been far out-numbered. However, he was at least a little satisfied that it looked like Kim had never given up the fight. Following the main trail of destruction, he found himself in his own bedroom with still no sign of his fiancée, his sister, or his little buddy. Looking under the bed he found one of Hana's toys, which probably meant Kim's defense against the onslaught below had been an attempt to keep the monkey ninjas from reaching the little girl. Searching around, he found one of Kim's handprints on the window, meaning that most likely she'd been the one to open it. Apparently she'd decided that it was more important to protect his little sister than to fight the odds she'd been facing.

"Good for you, KP," he said quietly with a small smile he didn't really feel considering the situation.

Glancing out the opening, he figured that Kim must have climbed out, and decided to see if he could follow what she'd done after that. It was difficult with the numerous dents to the roof shingles, but the damage all seemed to be leading up over the roof to the backyard. As quickly as he could, he climbed over the apex, and found a spot where it looked like she had jumped to the ground based on the impression on the gutter and the size-7 imprints in the ground below. When Ron followed suit, he noticed that the back door looked like it had been kicked a few times from the outside by that same size-7 shoe.

_Aww, man_, he berated himself._ I never told KP that Mom had the repairman seal the back door while they're waiting on a replacement._

Looking out away from the door, he noticed the back fence was bent or broken in several places on both the sides and the back of the property, and that there was a semicircle of simian footprints surrounding the door. Apparently while Kim had been trying to break down the back door the monkey ninjas, Orangupi, and something else had swarmed the backyard and surrounded her. He also saw what looked like two sets of human footprints amongst the beastly throng, one of large women's tennis shoes and one of what looked like outdoor work boots, and assumed they belonged to D.N. Amy and Alfred Bates. The strange thing was that neither the primate nor the villain footprints seemed to advance any farther than four feet from the door, and that just off the back patio it looked like Kim had followed the throng out the gate that led from the backyard to the front yard. For some reason, it looked like Kim had _willingly_ gone with the villains.

_But why would you do that, KP?_ the young man wondered with confusion.

A few feet from the gate, Ron finally found out why his girlfriend's Kimmunicator was giving a "signal lost" response. The device lay on the ground, evidently having been crushed by the Fiske family butler's boot until it was thinner than a fried egg. The strap also looked like it had been cut (no blood, thankfully), which probably explained why Kim hadn't called for help—somehow one of the enemies she'd been fighting had removed the Kimmunicator from her wrist before she ever got a chance. Picking it up gently like a treasure, Ron held it for a moment before quickly reaching for his own wrist Kimmunicator to call Wade back. The seconds seemed to drag into eons as he waited for the tech genius to answer.

"What did you find, Ron?" the young man finally replied.

"Nothing good, Wade. The house is torn up and KP's Kimmunicator is probably only good for scrap now. Looks like she had a run in with not only monkey ninjas but probably a few Orangupi as well, which means that most likely both Bates and D.N. Amy were here tonight. From what I can tell, KP put up a pretty good fight, but I can't find her or Hana or Rufus anywhere. And from what I found it looks like KP finally just went with them. Why she did that I don't know, but from the looks of things she may have done it to protect Hana."

"Wait, back up. You mean to tell me that both Hana _and_ Rufus were there with Kim tonight?"

"Yeah, that's right. Kim was babysitting for my parents and Rufus was helping her keep an eye on my super-ninja-baby sister. I told you that earlier, remember? And why do you ask?"

Wade got a decidedly worried frown. "Ron, just before I contacted you I got a call from Yori. She told me that the Yamanouchi School was under siege a short while ago by some creatures that weren't natural, probably about the same time the villains were attacking Kim in your house. But she also said they figured out after the attack that Sensei wasn't the target of the raid—the Lotus Blade was. Problem is they got it somehow. And now Yori, Hirotaka, and Sensei don't think the Yamanouchi leader was _ever_ the object of the attacks. And based on what I learned just before she called I'm beginning to agree with them."

"Wade, why do I get the feeling I'm not gonna like the next part of this?" Ron cut in as his face dropped into an even deeper frown.

The tech genius rubbed his neck. "Look, Ron, I'm really sorry I didn't catch this earlier—I guess you and Kim were right about me getting too tired and worked up about not being able to do much with this whole sitch for you guys. Regardless, that's not an excuse, and I'm really sorry my information misled us this time."

"Wade, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

Wade bowed his head in shame as he spoke. "I was going over the rituals again earlier, and…I found some things I'd missed before. Stuff like the fact that there are actually three victims needed for the rituals Bates and D.N. Amy are going to use to try to free Monkey Fist. And also…the one needed for the 'Monkey's Baton' ceremony has to have defeated the Dark Destroyer in some form, meaning the key to it isn't Sensei—it's Hana. What I originally told you guys was spot on, but I got too caught up in thinking they wouldn't go that far."

Ron felt like he'd been gut-punched, and dropped down to sit on a bench on the back patio. "They want to hurt my baby sister? But she doesn't even have MMP. I mean, yeah, she's connected to it because she's the Han, but she doesn't have any of it in her."

Wade shrugged apologetically. "Ron, the one they need also has to have defeated the Yono in some form before the ritual can be performed, and Hana's the only one that fits. After all, she did defeat Monkey Fist when he was Yono-powered. And when I found out she was the one the ritual called for I went ahead and pulled some scrap data I picked up on her on that mission and compared it to what little I've been able to gather on your abilities and I got a match—in addition to being the Han of legend, your three-year-old little sister has Mystical Monkey Power."

"But how is that possible? The Jade Monkey Idols were destroyed before she was ever born."

"Ron, we can look into that later. Right now we need to focus on where Bates and D.N. Amy took Kim, Hana, and Rufus."

Ron was about to agree when he hit upon another thought. "Wait. You said they need 'three victims' for the ritual. Does that mean Kim's a part of this too?"

"It's not a long-shot to assume she could be," Wade agreed. "And I'd wager that if Kim went with Bates and D. to protect Hana she doesn't yet know that by doing that she's playing right into their hands."

"So do we have a lead where they're taking them yet?"

"I'm working on it, Ron, but right now Kim's chip isn't showing up on my scans, and I'm betting that Rufus's chip won't show up either because of whatever's blocking her signal. But I promise I'll tell you the moment I know something. The best things you can do right now are to tell yours and Kim's families what happened and then try to get some sleep. Something tells me we're going to need you fully rested and ready for a confrontation when we do find them."

Ron let out a frustrated sigh of unwanted helplessness. "Okay, fine. But I want you to keep me updated with anything you might find, even if it's small. And tell Joss to be standing by on full-alert. I have a feeling this is going to take everyone we've got."

"I'll call her as soon as I get done talking to you. And Ron…I'm sorry. You have no idea how much."

The blonde pulled out as best a smile as he could. "Don't blame yourself, Wade. Even with you and KP suspecting Hana could be involved, we all got caught up in thinking Sensei was the one they really needed. And none of us thought they'd ever stoop this low."

"Thanks, Ron. And good luck with your families."

"Yeah," the young man replied. "You know, after the incident with Lady Kigo and now this, I'm gonna be pretty good with dropping bad news to our parents before this is all over."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Gene and Jean Stoppable returned home from the "2007 Actuary of the Year" banquet about an hour later. By that time Ron had straightened up what parts of the inside of the house he could (done mostly just to keep busy), but neither of his parents said a thing about the state of their home once they learned what had happened. Jean immediately broke down crying, and while Ron tried to console and reassure her his father put in a call to the Possibles telling them they should come over as soon as they were able. Within ten minutes, James and Anne appeared at the door, both surveying the damage to the Stoppable house with stunned looks on their faces. And when Ron relayed what had happened for the second time that night, neither of them spoke for several minutes.

"But why did Kimmie just give up like that?" Anne asked after a long, uncomfortable pause.

"My best guess, Mrs. Dr. P.," Ron replied with a sigh as he paced worriedly in front of them, "would be that for whatever reason she decided she couldn't protect Hana if she kept fighting. One thing KP's gotten a bit better at while we've been at G.V.U. this year is admitting when she's overwhelmed and needs a little bit of help. And I'd also be willing to bet that she was thinking she needed to make sure we, and by that I mean Wade, had some way of tracking Hana so we could find them quickly and get them all out of danger."

"But didn't you just say Wade can't find their chip signals?" his mother replied.

The young man shrugged. "Right now, Mom. But if anyone can locate them, it's Wade."

"And what if you don't find them, Ron?" James asked, his worry evident in his voice.

The young man got a decidedly confident look. "We will, Mr. Dr. P. That much I promise you."

"And what will you do when you do find them, Ronald?" his father asked, a somewhat alarmed sense of concern building in his brain over his son's current state of mind.

The tone of Ron's facial expression turned slightly darker. "We take KP, Hana, and Rufus back. And make the villains pay for ever kidnapping them in the first place."

With that, he turned and headed up the stairs to his room. Knowing he was probably worn out from the night's ordeal, none of the adults questioned the move. However, there was a growing concern for the young man beginning to form in all their minds—a concern that was given voice a few moments later as James and Gene surveyed the damage to the front and back yards while Anne stayed inside and attempted to help Jean calm down a bit more.

"I don't know, James," Gene replied as the two of them righted a stone bird bath that had been knocked over in the back yard. "I've only seen him get like that a few times before tonight."

"When was that?" Kim's father asked as he rubbed his hands to remove the dust.

Gene frowned as he sat down on the back patio bench to rest for a moment. "The only times I've ever seen Ronald that worked up are when he told me and Jeanette the truth about that Erik boy that Dr. Drakken sent after your daughter a few days after they started dating. I'd never seen him so hostile or heard him talk with so much hatred, and I prayed to Yahweh I'd never see it again—my son is a gentle person most of the time, and for him to be so worked up wasn't a natural thing. And then when he spoke about the Lorwardians the day after they stopped the invasion and what nearly happened to your daughter when the two of them were facing those aliens, he got the same look."

James nodded as he leaned against one of the posts supporting the awning. "I think I understand your concern, Gene. To be honest, the look on his face just now reminded me of the descriptions I've heard about that Zorpox character Kimmie-cub has said he's been turned into once or twice. And from what the two of them have told me about him, he takes everything that Anne and I admire about your son and turns it all on its ear. I guess I simply worry that Ronald might be in the same boat that Kim is where his alter ego could get out if he loses control."

"To be honest, James, his mother and I worry about that as well," Ron's father replied with a worried sigh. "Ronald has been known to go overboard with his reactions to things, and we both sometimes worry how it will affect him in the long run. That's part of the reason we normally just do things and then tell him about it afterwards, so that he doesn't have time to sit and stew about it. But I will say this: as long as he and your daughter remain together I don't think we'll have to worry about it, as it is my firm belief she won't let him get to that point."

James laughed. "Well considering they plan to marry in a few years, I think that's one thing we don't have to worry about."

* * *

Once they had Kim, Hana, and Rufus aboard the cargo plane they had stashed at an abandoned airfield just outside of the Tri-City area, Bates and D.N. Amy wasted no time in quickly tying the heroine's hands behind a pole inside the aircraft and near the back. The young woman had expected that of course when she agreed to go with them so she could protect Hana. However, she was a bit surprised that the two seemed to have a little bit of caring still left in their bodies, as they let Hana and Rufus stay with her—although they had made sure Rufus couldn't free her by using metal chains with thick links and secured with several locks for her restraints. Still, that didn't prevent the little guy from trying…

"Any luck, Rufus?" she whispered quietly.

"Hnk, no," the mole rat replied despondently as he climbed back onto her shoulder. "Need key."

"Kim-Kim?" Hana said with a distressed look on her face, the first real worry the red-head had seen the toddler display.

"I'm okay, Hana," Kim reassured her with a smile. "Just stay close to me."

The little girl nodded, and crawled into Kim's lap to snuggle there. Trying to soothe her boyfriend's little sister even more, Kim began humming a little tune that Ron had taught her which he regularly swore helped the toddler calm down more. As she did, Rufus came out from behind her and settled in the young woman's lap with Hana, rubbing his naked pink paw comfortingly on the little girl's arm. Hana smiled a little bit, and cuddled even closer to them both.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

A few feet away, D.N. Amy watched the scene with a puzzling emotion running through her mind—a feeling of longing. Seeing the three before her able to comfort and console each other despite their predicament made the rogue bio-geneticist almost wish she weren't a part of all of this. Yes, she wanted Monty-kins back, but somehow seeing the scene playing out before her was making her second-guess what she and Bates had planned for their foes. In truth, what the trio before her had found while held captive amidst their enemies was what she herself often looked for: real companionship. It was why she made her creations, why she sunk vast amounts of her money into Cuddle Buddies, and why she was determined to make Monty like her no matter what it took. In fact, witnessing moments like this sometimes made her wonder why she'd gone super-villain in the first place.

Sighing, she turned and shuffled up to the cockpit where Bates was flying the plane. He looked supremely pleased with himself over what they had done this night, and his eyes once more had that crazy, sadistic gleam to them. D.N. Amy was tempted to leave him alone for fear of what he might do next, but the feeling faded as she settled into the co-pilot's chair.

"Bates, do you think this is all worth it?" she asked as she removed and cleaned her glasses on her pink sweatshirt.

"My dear Amelia," the Fiske butler gloated as he worked the control stick and flipped a few switches, "of course it's worth it. Don't you want to see Monty Fist revived? Isn't that _why _we took them, why we bought all this equipment to hide our plane from being tracked? So that we could bring back Lord Monkey Fiske without any distractions or any more annoying American teenagers trying to stop us?"

"But Bates, is it really necessary to go this far?" she asked as she put her lenses back on, all the while making a conscious effort to ignore the red flags being sent up in her mind by her accomplice once again mixing up Cuddle Monkey's two names. "I mean, we both know we could just as easily use that other way to revive him."

"No, no," the stocky man replied. "I'm certain this method will please Lord Monty Fist. And that we will both be rewarded handsomely for our efforts. Who knows—he may even decide to ask you out on a picnic or some related hobby when he learns how instrumental you were in helping with his return."

"That would be nice," she replied dreamily.

"Yes it would, wouldn't it?" he answered in a tone of hidden condescension. "And since that's what you really want, why not simply accept that we must do it this way in order for the Lord to return properly?"

"But have you ever taken it this far, Bates?" she countered worriedly. "I mean, I push the laws of nature and science beyond what most people's ethics will allow, and I'll admit once or twice I've fused an unwilling human with an animal. But I've never actually done something this villainous before."

"Nor have I," he answered sadistically. "Yet I can think of no better place to start than in three days time during the revival of my Lord and Master. And who better to be the first to suffer under my hand than three who have caused him so much trouble. Just think: their pain will mean his glorious return."

"But _all_ of them?" she wondered aloud. "I mean, I'll admit my life would be a lot easier without that nasty Kim Possible around to spoil my fun, but do we have to involve the other two as well? Even if we use these rituals, isn't it possible to do this without hurting them?"

"_Of course it is_," he replied with a glare. "But this will simply make our victory over them that much sweeter, not to mention it will completely break the spirit of that accursed Ron Stoppable, the one who usurped my Lord's claim for the Mystical Monkey Power and the title of Monkey Master. And after all, it is what the Lord has said that he wanted when I talked to him last week."

"What he _said_ he wanted when you _talked_ to him last week?" D.N. Amy repeated in disbelief, looking at the man as if he'd suddenly sprouted a dozen extra heads. "Bates, have you gone mental? Cuddle Monkey is an immobile stone statue right now—he has as much speaking and movement ability at the moment as the rock he appears to have been turned into. Heck, that's why we have to perform the "Ritual of Living Stone" first before we can move on to the other ceremony, because Monty-kins needs to be able to move and speak for it to work."

"Maybe to those he has yet to feel anything towards, he appears that way," the butler remarked nastily before he smiled. "But rest assured that will change once we free him from his imprisonment and from the Curse of the Yono."

Bates' grin became even more crazed and sadistic, and suddenly D.N. Amy began to feel very fearful of this man who seemed to have slipped further into madness than even Monty-kins might have fallen before being petrified by this dreadful Yono beastie. She also began to wonder just how far Bates would be willing to go to bring about Cuddle Monkey's return, and whether it had ever really been such a good idea to partner up with him in the first place.

* * *

_a/n_

_Well, now the sitch is really becoming serious. With Kim, Hana, and Rufus, all captured by the villains, time seems to be running out for the rest of the team. But beneath it all, things are getting crazy._

_- Will Wade, Ron, and Joss be able to locate and rescue the trio in time?_

_- What do the villains want with the Lotus Blade?_

_- How will Bates' growing loss of sanity affect the outcome?_

_- And finally, will Monkey Fist be revived? Or will Team Possible be able to stop his return?_

_For these answers and more, don't miss the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_As always, reviews and comments are always welcome and appreciated. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Well, the voting for Round 2 of the 2010 Kim Possible Fannies is underway. To locate the thread for nominations, you can take a look at the "Kim Possible Discussion Forum" here on this site, or for a quick link take a look at my author page. I'm up for five different categories, and if you think I should move on to the next round, I'd really appreciate your support. Voting only goes for another few days, so get those ballots in. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Well, I move back to Arkansas from Colorado in less than three days. Surprisingly, I might actually have another chapter ready for you before then, but as we're getting close to the end of this particular tale in this series, I'm getting a bit finicky about my editing, and not publishing each chapter until I'm sure it's ready for the public to see. (For example, this chapter's rough draft was actually ready two weeks ago, but editing and proofreading only finished early this morning.) Regardless, I'm going to do my best to get this story finished soon so people aren't waiting on it...even if I have to go to the library to upload it, I will complete it._

_But by the same token, the next story in this tale, **The Plausible Sitch**, may take a while to get started. Plus, as I've said, I want to make sure I'm staying relatively close to what I showed a good friend who is no longer with us. This means it might take a bit longer to get out as well. However, I do plan to get it started relatively soon._


	43. Chapter 43

A/N

Chapter 43 is up and running!

- While the search for the kidnapped Kim, Hana, and Rufus heats up, life continues for the rest of Team Possible...as old issues start to resurface...

- Dr. Director reacts to the news of the kidnappings, and some of the motivation behind her actions is revealed.

- Sensei makes a "connection" with Kim, and begins to formulate a plan.

- Ron and Joss are summoned to Yamanouchi for a bit of training.

- Kim gets tired of letting things happen, but is she ready for what her actions will bring about?

- And finally, some of the secrets behind the Mystical Monkey Power are revealed...

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Bates' grin became even more crazed and sadistic, and suddenly DNAmy began to feel very fearful of this man who seemed to have slipped further into madness than even Monty-kins might have fallen before being petrified by this dreadful Yono beastie. She also began to wonder just how far Bates would be willing to go to bring about Cuddle Monkey's return, and whether it had ever really been such a good idea to partner up with him in the first place.

* * *

One would think that with all the waiting Team Possible had been forced to endure during the past few months while the "Monkey Fist Revival" sitch inched ever closer, a few more days wouldn't have bugged those that remained. But with Kim, Hana, and Rufus's lives all potentially at stake, that was a far cry from the way the remaining members were feeling. And the one who felt the pressure the most was the one feeling the most responsible for the trio's current predicament…

"I should have seen it coming and prevented it," Wade griped out of agitation, more with himself than the situation.

The tech genius had actually hoped to have the problem of the missing locator beacons solved by Saturday afternoon, but now it was Monday morning and he still hadn't cracked through whatever was blocking the signals. He'd tried everything: signal boosts, wider scans, more fine-tuned scans…he'd even tried a complete scan of every signal he could possibly find, but no luck. And the worst part of all of that failure is he was now refusing to let himself sleep as much as necessary so he could devote as much time as possible to trying to find the trio, often pausing for only a few hours rest before hopping right back into his computer chair. His tenacity was even starting to make Joss take a worried notice, and she had known him the shortest amount of time.

"Ah'm serious, Wade," the reddish-brown young teen told him Sunday afternoon when he appeared on the Kimmunicator screen with dark circles under his eyes, a product of his low amount of sleep. "My cousin and the others ain't gonna benefit from you runnin' yerself into the ground over this. If'n it does anythang, it'll only make yer searchin' for 'em take longer."

Wade would not be deterred, though, and continued his exhaustive scanning of all frequencies for the mysteriously absent signals. And although she'd been trying to calm him down, Joss's talk seemed to have done nothing but turn the fire of his determination into a fierce and roaring blaze of obsession. In fact, after his discussion with the reddish-brunette girl, Wade became so fanatical about finding the trio that he began refusing to sleep altogether, spending all hours both day and night staring at his monitor screens while his fingers beat out a steady and dancing rhythm on his keyboards that would have made a nice backbeat for a jig.

That's not to say that the other members of Team Possible were sitting around twiddling their thumbs, however. A couple of missions came up during this time, and knowing it was what Kim would want, Ron and Joss kept up the work in her absence. In addition, Ron began using these incursions to make sure Joss was ready to go on the big mission when it finally hit, as he was positive they were going to need the younger girl's help. She was definitely still rough, but her cousin's status seemed to have focused Joss on the task of improving her skills.

But regardless of their handicapped status, woe betide any of the villains or groups they faced during this time of crisis—if anything, Kim being gone had both Ron and Joss going even more all out than normal. The mission they picked up early Saturday morning was just a minor tech theft out in Seattle by some small time crooks, but once the remaining field agents of Team Possible got done with them the robbers were so scared they probably wouldn't have stolen again even if their lives depended on it. And on Sunday morning when the pair got done dealing with the Knights of Rhodighan and their latest plot to reclaim power by trying to overthrow the new democratic government that Prince Wally had created when he stepped aside, more than a third of the order quit the Knights there on the spot.

"I say, where is Kim Possible?" the former prince had asked as Ron and Joss prepared to leave after they'd put a stop to the Knights' scheme. "I never saw her with you this time."

"She's missin'," Joss replied. "And we're tryin' to find her."

"Well, I do hope you find her quickly," his father Wallace the Second added. "The world is a much safer place with her watching over it."

"Hey, Ron's just as good as she is," the fourteen-year-old teen girl retorted. "And they're a _team of equal partners_ now."

"My sincere apologies," the former king replied with an apologetic nod. "I had forgotten that you were 'Team Possible' now. But you must admit that without Miss Possible…"

"We know," Ron replied somewhat coldly. "And that's why we're going to get her back no matter what it takes."

With that, he turned on his heel and climbed in the vehicle that would take them to the airport. Joss watched him for a second before offering an apology to Wally and his father and then climbing in the government vehicle herself for the ride to the airport. Later, as their aerial transport took off for home, Joss came over to sit by the young man in the seat that Kim would normally have occupied.

"Yeh know, Ron, if you didn't put yerself down so much people might have an easier time acceptin' what you and Kim've been trying to tell 'em about the two of you being equal in all this now."

"Maybe," the blonde replied. "But it's still hard for me to accept sometimes that Kim sees me that way. I mean, I'm still surprised she even agreed to start dating me, much less has started seeing me as an equal."

"This again?" the younger girl replied incredulously. "Ron, you got to learn to accept that my cousin was thinkin' as straight as a pistol shot when she made the decision to let you carry her heart. And even if she hadn't been, she certainly wouldn't have accepted when you proposed to her if she wasn't convinced a hundred percent it was what her heart wanted. Ah mean, do yeh really think Kim would stick around you if she didn't think you were worth it?"

Ron smiled a small bit. "I guess you're right. No, wait…I know you are. Thanks, Joss."

"No big," she replied, the twang the Montana cowgirl put on one of her cousin's favorite phrases making the young man smile even more at her attempts to cheer him up.

* * *

Betty Director rubbed her temples as she looked over the latest files she'd received from her agents in the field, trying in vain to release the worried tension that was threatening to split her skull in two. Despite the fact that Team Possible hadn't asked for Global Justice's assistance on the matter, the patch-eyed woman knew there was something of great importance going on with the group of young people. She was also aware that the situation involved the potential return of the villain known as Monkey Fist, and that somehow something had happened in the past few days to tip the balance in villainy's favor. What exactly that something was she'd been unaware of until she'd received the file in front of her, but the intel contained within practically slapped her in the face with its suspicions that Kim Possible was missing. The rest of the file she couldn't have cared less about, but that single train of thought had the leader of Global Justice worried. And the prime reason for that worry had to do with the other folder sitting open on her desk, one she'd been re-examining multiple times since she'd first received it more than a year earlier.

It looked relatively normal, but the contents were anything but. And worse was what her superior officer now thought of this second file now that it looked like Kim might have been abducted. Up to this point, Betty had been able to convince the person who only ever conversed with her through a blurred-out screen and voice-changer that it wasn't a good idea to fully pursue what this second file outlined. But with the once supposed and now confirmed disappearance of the red-headed young woman, the Global Justice leader's hand of playable cards had been severely damaged. Even worse, she now knew the day would soon come when she was ordered to put things into action. As Betty stared at the open file, she studied the five pictures and profile before her with an intense gaze, and found herself wondering what the consequences of accepting this path she would be ordered to follow would be.

However, one thing was certain. Dr. Director knew that if she were forced into this course of action by her superior, the day would soon follow after when she'd have to put her own contingency plan into play. And whether she liked it or not Betty knew exactly where that path would lead her, as well as what would no doubt happen if her plan failed. Sighing, she once more reached for the secret button on her watch, and entered the code on the secretive keypad that popped up on her desk. As the keypad disappeared and her computer screen went blurry a bit, she took a deep breath. Up to this point, it would still be possible to pull out—after all, Global Justice had many plans like this in its playbook, and many of them followed the same lines her own preparations did. The problem was that none of those contingencies took the path Betty had laid out, and if she did what she was about to do there would be no going back. That knowledge had the woman on such an edge that the few seconds she had to wait now seemed to stretch into hours.

"Secure," Will Du responded at last, the look on his face lined with traces of nervous anticipation as it appeared on her monitor.

"Have you read the latest intelligence file on Team Possible?" the head of Global Justice asked.

"I have, Dr. Director," he replied with a frown. "And I'm also well apprised of what the top brass think of it."

"Then you know what we have to do, Will."

"Yes, Ma'am, and I've already informed most of the team about it."

Betty nodded grimly. "Tell all involved that this is their last chance to back out without fear of retaliation for our actions if we fail. Once we move to Stage Three, there is no going back—we'll have to see it through to the end, regardless of the outcome."

Surprisingly, Will Du smiled. "Pardon me, Ma'am, but we all knew that prior to signing up. As far as we're concerned, the time to back out was when you first asked us to be a part of this."

"Very well then," she replied with an appreciative smile. "Contact the Maintenance Crew and inform them we are moving to Stage Three. I also want you to contact Rogue One and inform him of our current status and situation. And make sure we have both the new locations prepped and ready—we may need them sooner than we'd hoped."

"Affirmative, Dr. Director. But before I do this, I have to ask you: Are you sure these most recent developments will convince them it is necessary to push forward with their ideas? If Kimberly is found soon, it may cause them to reconsider."

Betty tented her hands. "I wish I could say I agree with you, Will. But you and I both know they consider that group to be nothing without her. Why else would they have tried to force her into G.V.U. while attempting to keep Ron out? And their reaction to her cousin Jossilyn joining the team only cemented what I think of their mindset on the matter."

"Understood and acknowledged. I'll make the necessary calls and arrangements. Special Agent Will Du over and out."

Standing and heading for the window, Betty lowered the slats on the blinds of her office with a finger and peered out at the main room's world map. The status still remained the same it had since Friday evening: only three of Team Possible's five red locator stars were still visible, while all of the other group's green marks (including the newest one that had popped up within the past few weeks, bringing the total up to five) remained static in their normal positions.

_I hope I didn't just jump the gun and make a huge mistake_, she thought as she let the blinds snap back to their original position before sinking anxiously back into her chair. _But if my intuition about the seriousness of this is real, I don't think I have much choice anymore._

* * *

Master Sensei sat in his quarters, focusing on his meditations. For many years now he'd been aware of a…"connection" with Ron Stoppable as the Chosen One and the Monkey Master, and it had allowed him to be aware of the young man's location even if he couldn't pinpoint it. The wizened Yamanouchi leader suspected the link had been established the night the young man acquired the Mystical Monkey Power, and it had been growing in small increments up until recently. However, ever since Ron had successfully defeated the Lorwardians it had been growing stronger by leaps and bounds. Sensei knew that meant that it would soon be time to test the young man further, but that was not the purpose of his meditations now.

The time that DNAmy had kidnapped him, the elderly ninja instructor had noticed something he hadn't suspected before, a second connection to another young person, one he'd never expected to have one with—Kim Possible. It was weak at first, but much stronger when the pair assisted the Yamanouchi School against the Yono. Master Sensei supposed it could be a connection of association since the young woman was so close to the Chosen One, but that link had seemed exponentially stronger when the pair came to the school in the fall and he'd shown them the Prophecies of the Jade Monkeys. In fact, that had been part of the reason he'd had the red-head read a section of the sacred scroll, to see if the connection were indeed real. If the bond he'd felt had been false, she would have been unable to decipher the text, yet she had read the ancient words as easily as the Chosen One or the Yamanouchi School's two most promising graduates. And it was this link he now focused his mental energies on following. Thus far his efforts had been fruitless, but something was different when he tried on Monday morning.

Although the feeling was faint, he could tell that Kim was still alive and that she seemed to have been relatively unharmed to this point. In fact, other than being held prisoner, she seemed almost perfectly fine. And yet mixed within the sea of her emotions Sensei could feel a sense of dread, as if she wanted to do something but could not due to worry of what would happen if she failed. Had he not been informed by Wade and Ron that Hana and Rufus had been taken with the red-head he would have found the feeling puzzling, but the two young men had called the Yamanouchi School shortly after they had come to a clearer understanding of how the abductions had taken place. Therefore, he knew the reason the young woman would not act had to do with the fact that she was more concerned about the safety of those with her. Yet that same inaction worried him because it wouldn't allow him to get a solid connection with her, as only decisive thoughts would allow for a strong link.

_Kim Possible_, he concentrated his thoughts, _you must do something to allow us to help you. You must find a way._

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Kim sighed as she continued glancing around the place the villains had brought herself, Hana, and Rufus, studying everything so that when the time came to act she would know the area like the back of her hand. The moment they'd entered the place, she'd been chained to some sort of support column, but thankfully she still had a pretty good view of the area. Judging by the deterioration of the column and by the age of the rest of the structure, they were in some sort of old temple, and judging from the writing on the wall, she was able to deduce that they were most likely in some ancient Chinese ruins. For some reason, she felt she should be familiar with the place, but at the same time she couldn't figure out why she felt like she should recognize it. One thing she did notice for sure was the existence of four alcoves with markings she knew she should be able to place—out of all the mysteries of this place, that one bugged her the most. She knew the markings were familiar, but the answer to where she'd seen them before continued to elude her.

The young woman was trying to focus on where she'd seen the markings once more when suddenly she heard a voice she hadn't expected ringing in her head.

_Kim Possible, you must do something to allow us to help you. You must find a way._

She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and make sure she'd actually heard Sensei's voice, and smiled when she heard it again. One of the monkey ninjas that had been assigned to guard her glanced back at her, but when she merely gazed at it with a neutral look on her face it turned back around to its original position. Grinning slightly, she took a deep breath and tried to focus her thoughts.

_I can hear you, Sensei_, she sent out mentally, hoping the communication would work both ways as it did for Ron.

Her hopes were rewarded quickly when his voice came through a third time. _This is unexpected, but it is also a good change of the winds. I am trying to help Wade-san locate you. Can you give me any information on your where you have been taken?_

The teen heroine glanced around before replying. _Not much to go on, unfortunately. We're in some kind of ruins covered with what looks like ancient Chinese markings. Also, the villains have a bunch of tech equipment set up, which I'm guessing is why Wade can't find mine or Rufus's locator chips. Don't think that's why they have the stuff though; seems to be mainly so they can stay hidden from any sort of search for unusual power blooms of electricity._

She could hear the smile in the man's thoughts. _Very good. About the ruins you are in—do you see anything beyond the writing that would tell us where they are located?_

Kim took another look around the room, trying to find anything that would help identify her surroundings, and her eyes fell once more on the empty pedestals. _Looks like there are four alcoves where something of major importance used to sit. The markings on the pedestals look familiar but I can't place them. Also, the center of the roof has a hole in it, and it doesn't look like it was formed from this place falling into disrepair. If I had to guess, I'd say this is exactly the place they need for the rituals—almost like it was built for that purpose. Also, last night the constellation that Wade said Bates and DNAmy need was shining through the hole in the ceiling, but the moon wasn't yet in enough of the new moon phase evidently because they didn't attempt anything. And from what I can tell tonight the constellation won't be aligned for long—maybe five to six minutes at most—so I don't think they'll try anything tonight either. From what they've said, they need at least a good eight minutes for the Ritual of Living Stone to take effect, and that that one has to be successful for the Monkey's Baton to be used._

_Well done, Possible-chan. But look at the markings on the alcoves again. Can you pinpoint why they seem familiar?_

Kim took a deep breath and focused all her thoughts, trying to remember where she'd seen the etchings. _I feel like I've seen them before on a mission, but only for a short while…almost like whatever I saw them on disappeared or was destroyed shortly after I laid eyes on it. Either that or it was stolen from me or whoever I was doing a favor for._

_Good. Final question: how are the three of you holding out?_

Now the red-head smiled briefly once more. _Oddly enough, we're being treated halfway decent. The villains aren't feeding us much, but they are letting Hana and Rufus stay with me—although they're keeping me chained to this pillar. And unfortunately I wouldn't get free quickly enough to protect the two of them from the villains' attempts to stop me if I tried something. They've also got some sort of strange, glowing blue sword near me, and I could probably use it if I could get to it in time._

_You mean they keep the Lotus Blade in the same place they are holding you captive?_ Sensei's mental voice came through in surprise.

_If the Lotus Blade is a blue sword with a ferociously weird glowing to it, then yeah they are. It's sitting on some sort of altar, and I could take twenty steps and be able to pick it up._

_This is good information. I will relay it to Wade-san and Stoppable-san as soon as possible. Until then, do not attempt escape; only delay them if they attempt to perform the rituals before we arrive._

_Alright_, the red-head mentally grumbled while agreeing. _But you know I hate waiting like this, right?_

There was no reply.

* * *

Wade's eyes were becoming bloodshot from lack of sleep, but he refused to let up. Monday morning's searches had returned no more fruit than the previous ones, and Monday afternoon wasn't looking like it would be much better. He shook his head back and forth and slapped his face a few times in an attempt to stay awake, but his eyelids were feeling heavier than ever with each passing hour. He was feeling so exhausted he didn't even notice when he tried to take a drink from his soda cup and got nothing but the watered-down remnants of the last few swallows.

Rubbing the weariness from his eyes once more, he began his scanning again, looking for anything unusual. All five of his individual systems were now running various searches, each a potential window to finding Kim, Rufus, and Hana. On one machine, he had a constant scan for the locator chips. A second had taken every single piece of data he had on the MMP, and was scanning the globe for signs of it (the meters had spiked violently when Ron had powered up slightly against the Knights, and the readings have very nearly crashed Wade's systems). The third machine was scouring every single traffic light camera in the world in the hopes that maybe one of them would spot Bates or DNAmy, while the fourth computer was constantly scanning news headlines in search of any reports of anyone spotting anything that might resemble one of the rogue bio-geneticist's creations. The fifth and final machine he was keeping open on the off chance they might get lucky and Kim could get a signal out, as well as using it to check on under-the-table warehouse acquisitions and unlisted flights from around the globe.

Yawning once more, he was about to restart the warehouse and flight search again when he suddenly got a call from the Kimmunicator system on channel seven—apparently Hirotaka wanted an update on the progress of the search. Wade sighed, preparing the same speech he'd already given Ron and Joss earlier that day about how he was trying his best but still hadn't had much luck, and pressed the receive button. However, the look on the shinobi's face when he appeared on Wade's main monitor screen didn't speak of one out of the loop; in fact, it looked like the Japanese young man might be more in the know than Wade was.

"Wade-san, Sensei has requested a special search regarding Team Possible's incursions with Monkey Fist. He wishes to know if they're have been any times during those missions where Possible-chan was in possession of anywhere from one to four similar objects for a short period of time before they were either destroyed or stolen."

The tech genius blinked and rubbed one of his eyes sleepily a few times. "You mean like the Jade Monkey Idols that gave Ron and Rufus the MMP? Cause Kim retrieved one of those things for Monty Fiske before we knew him as Monkey Fist, and then that evening he stole it from her while disguised as a ninja."

Hirotaka turned to the side, and Wade could hear him speaking to someone but couldn't make out what was being said or who the shinobi was speaking to. However, the young man quickly turned back to his Kimmunicator with a smile.

"Master Sensei says that this information may be the key we need. He asks you to locate the main temple that was built by the ancient followers of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar—which was known as the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. He also says that he is unable to help you any more than this, for while he knows the locations of the four sister temples where the statues were taken for safe-keeping, the Grand Temple was abandoned long before that. The only reliable information he has on the Grand Temple is that it was located in China in a place where it would be difficult to find."

Wade blinked a few more times. "Wait, why do we need to find that temple? And what's so special about it?"

Hirotaka shook his head. "Sensei says it is not yet time for you to have the answers you have asked for, but that he is fairly certain that this temple would be where the villains would have to take Monkey Fist to revive him. And so he believes that to be where they have taken our friends as well."

"Okay, I'll do the search," the tech genius replied. "Give me at least a half hour—might take longer since we don't have much to go on…"

"There is also more, Wade-san. Sensei requests that you send Stoppable-san and Possible-chan's cousin to Yamanouchi immediately. He says that if he is mistaken about the Grand Temple, there is another way to locate them, but Stoppable-san must be shown the path first."

Wade nodded. "They'll be on the first transport I can get them a ride on—should be there early tomorrow morning. And I think I should have the information Sensei wants by the time they get there."

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"So this is the Yamanouchi School," remarked Joss with a whistle as she and Ron entered the gates a few hours later. "No wonder mah cousin was surprised you managed to keep this place a secret."

The bright, Tuesday morning sun was just beginning to rise over the surrounding mountains, making the white stone walls that surrounded the Yamanouchi School and made up its buildings shine as brightly as if they had been made by the most skilled artisans in history with the most carefully polished marble that had ever existed.

"Just remember you have to do the same thing now that you know about it, Joss," Ron replied as they crossed the courtyard. "Just like me and KP can't tell even our parents what this place really is, you can't tell your dad about it."

"Shoot, Dad doesn't care 'bout what Ah do on missions as long as Ah'm careful," the younger Possible girl said with a flip of her reddish-brown hair while the two of them observed the students and instructors running through their morning practice routines. "Far as he's concerned what we're involved in on missions is our business and no one else's. Kind of like yeh don't mess with another rancher's cattle 'cause you don't know what they've been doing with 'em."

Ron nodded just as a single student, obviously female, came up to them. He smiled, recognizing her walk, and glad to see that the slight limp had completely vanished from her movements. But more than that, this was the first time Ron had seen his friend dressed in the black gi of a Yamanouchi graduate—unlike the slightly faded-looking plain black of the normal combat attire of a student, the uniforms of those who had completed the regular instruction at the school were a solidly jet black that gleamed in the sunlight, as if they had been made from a flawless piece of black onyx stone.

"Stoppable-san, it is good to see you again, though I once more wish it were for better reasons."

"Me too, Yori. This here is Jossilyn Possible, KP's cousin and current junior member of Team Possible."

"It is nice to meet you, Jossilyn-chan," the kunoichi replied with a bow.

"Same here," Joss echoed with a polite nod. "Though Ah'm a bit curious why you people asked me to come here. After all, seems that what you've got to say to me could've just been said to Ron here."

Yori smiled. "Actually, you were asked because Sensei has sensed that we could help you with your fighting techniques while he teaches Stoppable-san what he must know. And that what you learn will aid you in the coming struggle."

"Well, Ah'm already a pretty good scrapper," the younger woman replied with a smirk. "Not real sure what Ah could learn from ninja when Ah can already handle some of you jest fine in a fight."

"Then maybe we shall teach each other," Yori replied.

The kunoichi had gained a secretive smile that made Ron inwardly laugh and cringe at the same time. He knew from experience that what a Yamanouchi ninja knew of the martial arts was not always apparent, and he had a feeling Joss was about to get her eyes opened to just how good his Japanese friend was at the art of combat. Nodding as the two girls walked over to a training circle, he continued towards Sensei's quarters. However, he was stopped by Hirotaka before he could enter the main building of Yamanouchi.

"Stoppable-san, Sensei requests that you meet him in the Meditation Gardens at the peak of Yamanouchi. He waits there for you now. He also requests that you leave your communication device here, as the modern world is not allowed at the peak out of respect for the spirits of the ancestors that once built this place."

"But what about Wade?" the blonde asked. "He said he'd have that information for us shortly after we got here."

"Do not worry, Stoppable-san," Hirotaka replied, holding up his wrist to show that he still wore the black version of the wrist Kimmunicator that Team Possible had presented him with. "I will be waiting for Wade-san's contact, and will inform you immediately when he calls."

Ron was confused but nodded anyway, removing his Kimmunicator and handing it to his friend. Then he quickly exited the school and headed for the path to the top of Yamanouchi. The climb to the summit was short but arduous, so that by the time Ron reached the white-stone Meditation Gardens he was slightly out of breath. Sensei sat in the middle in lotus position, and remained so as Ron approached…though he did smile as the young man entered the clearing.

"You have arrived with the swiftness of the rabbit, Stoppable-san."

"Yes, Sensei," Ron replied with a respectful bow.

"Please, sit," the wizened Yamanouchi leader gestured. "It is time for your training as the destined Monkey Master to continue."

"My training as the Monkey Master?" the young man replied in confusion as he complied.

"Yes, Stoppable-san. When you first came to the Yamanouchi School, did you not learn many things that have helped you in your travels and on your missions with Possible-chan?"

"Yeah, but I just learned what all the others learned."

Sensei smile faded away, but the warmness of a proud teacher remained in his expressions. "It may appear so, but what you have learned while here goes far beyond what even Yori and Hirotaka will be taught, and they will be shown secrets that have been shown only to those considered most at peace with their place at this school. And with the trials laid before you, it is a good opportunity to teach you the next skill you will need as your Warrior's Path continues."

"This has something to do with the Lotus Blade, doesn't it, Sensei? Wade told me that DNAmy's forces managed to steal it."

"Very perceptive, Stoppable-san. And yes, you are correct. Tell me, do you remember what happened towards the very end of your first visit here, after you had defeated Fukushima and Monkey Fist?"

Ron cringed and hung his head. "Yeah. I thought I'd lost the Lotus Blade forever, but you told me it would always come back to me as long as my heart remained pure. Then I called it, and it smashed a hole in the side of the school. I mean, it was badical I could summon it like that, but how does that help us now?"

As he finished speaking, the young man looked up, and was surprised to see a smile once more forming on the Yamanouchi leader's face

"Stoppable-san, what you must realize is that you were able to call the Lotus Blade to you because you are _connected_ to it. And you are connected to it _because_ you are the Monkey Master. Like Toshimiru before you, you share a connection with the Lotus Blade that can never—and will never—be broken. Until you pass from this world completely, you and the Blade will remain a part of each other."

Ron got a confused look, and Sensei pulled out a piece of string and took an end in each hand, pulling on each end as he spoke. "Think of that connection like this string: when there is a pull on one end, the other end must invariably go in that direction. And that is what happened when you called the Lotus Blade to you—it was simply you pulling on your side of that connection."

To illustrate, Sensei pulled on each end of the string once more, motioning how his other hand was forced to move with it.

"The next step of your training is learning how to make the Lotus Blade pull on its end. Once you learn this, you will be able to find the Blade no matter where it is, and will also be one step closer to being ready for the responsibility of its protection."

"You mean…" Ron answered in shock, his eyes going wide.

Sensei nodded. "Yes. Once you have mastered the skills necessary, you will become the new _Ki-pa-hasu_, or Keeper of the Lotus, and the Lotus Blade will become yours until your death. At which time it will either be passed on or return on its own to the Yamanouchi School."

That comment brought a question to the young man's mind…actually, it brought a pair of questions.

"Uh, Sensei, before we begin can I ask you a couple of things?"

The Yamanouchi leader nodded, but also added, "I will answer if it is time for you to know. But also know that the Fox who learns too much before he is ready becomes too wily and thus easy prey for the cunning hunter."

"Meaning if I'm not ready, you won't tell me," Ron replied glumly.

"In a manner," Sensei answered with a mysterious smile. "However, I sense that what you wish to ask you are indeed ready to know."

Ron smiled a little. "First of all, why didn't you tell me and KP that Hana had the Mystical Monkey Power? I mean, you told us she was the Han of legend, so why leave that out? And how did she get it?"

A sigh issued forth from the man's lips, and for perhaps the first time since he had first met Master Sensei a few years earlier Ron saw the master of the Yamanouchi School as an old man. "Because, Stoppable-san, to reveal that she possesses it would in turn reveal another path, one which those that must follow it are not yet ready to travel. You are ready for the answers, yes, but there are others who must accompany you on this journey who are not prepared for what the answers will reveal. You see, there are three ways for one to acquire the Mystical Monkey Power—what you experienced was simply the easiest and most direct way. The others are…more complicated."

A sudden worry shot through Ron's mind. "Wait, can you get it by inheriting it? Cause me and KP met our daughter from the future this past summer, and she had the MMP, and maybe even stronger than mine. So does that mean that Hana is…"

Sensei smiled. "You may rest easy, Stoppable-san. Hana is not of your family tree…though you have correctly guessed how she acquired the Mystical Monkey Power. However, I must request that you do not press this matter further for the moment, nor reveal this information to anyone else, including Possible-chan. As I have said, you are ready for this path of knowledge, but others are not. There are secrets long-hidden in both the recent and the distant past, and it would not do to have them brought forth at this time. The day soon approaches when the light will dispel the shadows, but it is not today. And I also believe you had another question?"

Ron bowed his head. "You've told us before that you know a lot of what I'm going to face as the Monkey Master because of that 'Prophecies of the Jade Monkeys' scroll you showed us. So you knew that Kim, Hana, and Rufus would be taken. My other question is why didn't you tell us that would happen?"

"As I have told you before, Stoppable-san, those Prophecies rely on the choices _you_ choose to make. Did I know it would happen?—Yes. But did I know _when_ or _where_ it would happen?—No. There are many things destined to happen to you, Stoppable-san, because you are the Monkey Master. But when they happen, how they happen, and why they happen all depend on the choices you make. Predicting the future is a…cloudy endeavor at best, even for those who are actually able to partake of such sight. The stream of time is clouded with many leaves, and thus the path of flow is often perceived as blocked. For example, it is entirely possible you were ready for this lesson about the Lotus Blade the very day I showed you how to call it to you. But you also chose that same day to shrink back from the power after you saw it cause the Blade to destroy a wall, and thus what it could do if used improperly. Now, are you ready to begin?"

Ron took a deep breath, swallowing to calm his nerves as he did so, and nodded.

"Very well," Sensei replied with a matching nod and a meditative breath. "The skill you are about to learn is both simple and difficult, because it requires that you call the Lotus Blade while simultaneously _not_ calling for it."

"Say what?" the young man replied.

Sensei continued. "You must make the same connection as before, but must not pull on your end in even the smallest way. If successful, you will be able to in effect 'see' what the Lotus Blade sees, to 'feel' what it feels, and thus pull yourself closer to it. To do this, you must first detach yourself from the earth beneath you…"

"Like you do when you're doing that mystical floaty-thing or when you use your projection abilities."

"Precisely," the Yamanouchi leader replied. "You must then make the connection to the Lotus Blade without reconnecting to the earth beneath you. I warn you—this second part is the most difficult step. According to the records of the Yamanouchi School, Toshimiru himself had great difficulty with this, and never fully mastered it. Though I would also tell you that according to the records and the legends, you are destined as the Monkey Master to be far more powerful than he. And so you should have the knowledge of this skill by sunset this evening; practical use, however, may take longer."

Ron blinked a few times. "But isn't tonight one of the chances for Bates and DNAmy to revive Monkey Fist?"

Sensei shook his head. "Not according to Possible-chan."

"You spoke with KP?" the young man asked incredulously.

"Yes, but this was only possible because she is special to you, Stoppable-san, and because I have spent many years perfecting the skills necessary. In time you may develop them as well, but at this time your power remains unfocused, and the strain would be too great. Also, once you have mastered having the Lotus Blade summon you, you will be able to find her much more easily than you would from a mental connection."

At that moment, Hirotaka came running up the path, bowing respectfully before he spoke. "Sensei, Wade-san has completed his search. He has found three possible locations for the ruins of the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. However, he says he is unable to distinguish which one Possible-chan and the others are being held at."

Sensei nodded. "Very good, Hirotaka. Go back to the school and begin preparing the most senior students—only those who will graduate this year or higher will be permitted to volunteer for this mission."

"Yes, Sensei," the shinobi replied with another bow before turning back down the mountain.

The head instructor of Yamanouchi returned his gaze to the blonde seated in lotus before him. "Now it is up to you, Stoppable-san. If we hope to rescue them in time, you must gain this skill quickly."

"Yes, Sensei," the young man replied, and set to work focusing his mind.

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

Joss smiled as she faced Yori in the dueling ring. "Yeh know, from what Ah can tell you once had a crush on Ron, Miss Japan."

Yori also grinned as she bowed before serenely lowering herself into a combat stance. "If you are trying to distract me with taunts, Jossilyn-chan, it will not work. It might have at one time, but I have since moved beyond my attraction to Stoppable-san. Now, I wish to see what you already know, so please let us begin."

Joss returned the bow, albeit a little bit awkwardly, and immediately leapt at the kunoichi in a flying side kick. However, Yori merely sidestepped, giving the younger woman a light tap on the back that knocked her quickly to the ground. Joss immediately rolled out, and tried a leg sweep. But once more Yori had no trouble avoiding the move, gently flipping over the attack and Joss with ease, poking the reddish-brunette softly on the back of the head as she did so.

"Are you jest messin' with me?" Joss remarked agitatedly as she rubbed the back of her head in frustration, "or are we gonna spar?"

"Your attacks still lack the true focus of a seasoned warrior," Yori replied with a smile over her shoulder, "so for me to retaliate now would put you at an unfair disadvantage."

"Ah don't care what you _think_ of my skills," the younger woman spat as she charged again. "What matters right now is you helpin' me be ready to help save _mah cousin_!"

The kunoichi continued to evade with little effort, adding light touches into every single opening Joss left. "You have fire, Jossilyn-chan, but you must learn to channel it into your defense as well as your strikes. At the moment you focus too much on your attacks, and it is a myth that the best defense is a good offense—you must have both if it is your wish to become stronger. If you were to face DNAmy's creations now you would be easy prey for them, and that will not help to rescue your cousin. You must make yourself more of an asset to their team if you wish to continue helping her and Stoppable-san with their missions."

She finally ended the sparring session with a simple sweep that sent Joss sprawling backwards, following up by pinning the younger girl with a forearm lightly but firmly across the Montana cowgirl's throat while her other hand was frozen cocked back and pointed for a killing-strike.

"Combat is not only about the strength of your attack, but also the solidity of your defense. If you are not aware of this, you make yourself an easy target for your enemy."

"Okay, Ah get it," Joss replied in defeat. "So what do you suggest Ah do about it?"

Yori smiled but shook her head as she stood and helped Kim's cousin to her feet. "That is the other reason it was deemed necessary for us to do this. You try too hard to follow your cousin's path or the path of others, but the true warrior, especially the true female warrior, must forge her own path. Possible-chan has told me before that when you helped her and Stoppable-san to defeat Drakken and Shego, you managed to come up with a new and original move for mounting a robotic horse that she herself, with all her experience in the field, had not thought of. This is how you must approach your fighting skill. Absorb what you have learned from observing others, yes, but also learn to adapt those moves and skills to suit your own spirit and technique."

"So then you're sayin' Ah shouldn't try so hard to mimic Kim's moves, but should make up my own?"

The kunoichi smiled. "What I am saying is similar, but I also suggest that you take her techniques and learn how to make them work best for you. It will not be easy, but eventually you will make yourself as strong as or maybe even stronger than your cousin. All of this will depend on how you choose to walk on your own warrior's journey."

Joss nodded and bowed (this time much more naturally than her previous attempt) before getting into her combat stance once more. "Okay, Ah'm ready. For real this time," she said with a smirking smile reminiscent of another particularly feisty young woman.

Yori bowed as well before following suit, a matching smile forming on her own lips. "Then let us begin your true lessons."

* * *

As the night edged closer, Kim could tell the apparent tension between her captors was starting to rise. Bates now seemed even more ferociously "out there" than the crazed villain he wished to serve once more, while DNAmy had apparently started making sure she was never around the Fiske family butler without at least a few of her larger creations accompanying her. And unfortunately from Kim's standpoint, that was a bad thing as far as the welfares of herself, Hana, and Rufus were concerned. Previous experience had taught her that when villains who were teamed-up started fighting amongst themselves, it never boded well for those who already were the partnership's victims, or for those who were to come to the position shortly.

"I'm telling you, my dear Amelia, that tonight is the night we should attempt the 'Ritual of Living Stone'. The moon is already in enough of the dark status, and the heavens will be perfectly aligned," Bates ranted as he walked with the rogue bio-geneticist towards where the trio was being held captive.

"And I'm telling you, Bates, that there won't be enough time for Cuddle Monkey to fully reawaken. Remember, the transformation will start as his feet, and it is mouth and hands that must be fully transfigured for him to perform his part in the 'Monkey's Baton'. If those aren't free, we might as well not even start. Remember, we've only got one shot at this."

_One shot, huh?_ Kim thought with a smile. _That's interesting. Maybe I can stop this on my own after all. All I have to do is goad them into acting early, and make sure they have trouble with it._

"You know," she said with smirk, "the longer you two wait, the more chance you have of Ron showing up with a storm of Yamanouchi ninjas backing him up. If I were you, I'd do this thing now instead of waiting for tomorrow night."

"You see?" Bates spat in agitation. "The longer we wait, the more chances we have of these meddlesome do-gooders showing up and ruining the ceremonies. I say we do it now!"

DNAmy was blazing. "Bates, you idiot! I know you don't have much experience in this, so let me offer some advice: you don't take that nasty Kim Possible's advice on how to run _your_ schemes! She knows we only get one shot at this, so she's trying to make sure we rush things and make a mistake. Besides, we're not quite ready. Or have you forgotten the final element of this? The main reason we have chosen the three we have is so that Cuddle Monkey gets his full revenge on that bothersome Ron Stoppable."

"Wait, three?" Kim replied. "Does that mean you two are still after Sensei?"

Bates grinned menacingly as he leaned in closer to the young woman's face. "Oh no, little girl—we have the three we need. In fact, if we wanted, we could bring back Lord Monty Fist tonight with no trouble at all."

"Then why not do it?" the red-head replied with a bit of taunting threat to her voice. "Or are you scared he won't be pleased to lose to this 'little girl' so soon after he gets back? If you're even successful in the first place."

The butler's eye twitched insanely, but he stood back up. "Because my dear Amelia here is right. The Lord Monkey Fiske…"

"Will you cut that out?" Kim spat in annoyance. "At first I found it funny, but now it's just getting ridiculous. Either call him 'Monty Fiske' or call him 'Monkey Fist', but stop combining the names. It's getting ferociously annoying. And for your information, he's not as ferociously great to his minions as you seem to think he is."

The look of insane rage on Bates' face at her interruption would have made someone of less courage wither, but Kim held her ground, even when he reached up and backhanded her across the cheek.

"Hey!" chittered Rufus in a severely disapproving manner

He leapt up on Kim's shoulder, glaring and baring his teeth, growling and making it abundantly clear he would bite _hard_ if Bates repeated the action. Hana meanwhile latched on to and clung to Kim's leg, burying her face in the fabric of the young woman's capris—although she wasn't crying, there was no doubt the toddler had been scared by the butler's outburst.

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK OF THE LORD IN THAT MANNER!" he roared. "HE DESERVES RESPECT!"

Kim's fire did not dissipate, however. "I'll give him respect when he earns it! But trying to take over the world and threatening to throw me or my friends in volcanoes doesn't exactly impress me! And you're even less than he is—at least he never had to wait for his opponent to be tied up to pull out cheap shots!"

Bates cocked his hand to strike her again, but DNAmy put herself between him and the trio.

"Bates, stop this! She's trying to rile you up so you do something stupid. Just walk away!"

The Fiske family butler's jaw ticked several times, but his hand lowered all the same. As he stormed away, Kim glared after him before turning a slightly kinder gaze to DNAmy.

"Dr. Hall, you can't be okay with working with that maniac. I can tell you're having some major doubts here."

The rogue bio-geneticist sighed but didn't face her. "Of course I am, but this is the way we chose to bring Cuddle Monkey back, and we're too far along now. I don't feel right about some of the stuff we have to do to get there, but it's the only way we can go now."

"But Amy, this isn't just minor villainy we're talking about," Kim countered, trying to keep her voice calm and un-patronizing. "If you do this, you're looking at having at least three lives on your head, and you'll be responsible for everything Monkey Fist does from here on in if this plan of yours works. Can you really live with that? Can you honestly look in the mirror and tell yourself it's okay?"

The plump woman turned to face the red-head for the first time since she'd put herself between Bates and the young woman. "I appreciate the gesture, Kim Possible, but you and I both know I couldn't start over."

Kim smiled. "Of course you could. Look at the Lipskys, Andy and Sheila. Could you have ever said that those two could ever be hidden beneath the Dr. Drakken and Shego you've known for years?"

DNAmy's face screwed up as if she were gathering courage. "It's not the same, Kim. I followed the rules for years, and they called me mad even then. Can you imagine what it was like to have no friends all throughout high school and college, all because I wanted to collect Cuddle Buddies? And then to have the few acquaintances I had deny knowing me when I decided to try and make the world better by making life-size, living versions? No, I played by the rules, and I got burned. Now I'm walking my own path, and I'm happier than I ever was living by society standards. So if I have to break a few more rules to bring about more happiness for myself, I'll do it. And with you out of the way, my plans won't be as impeded."

"Wait, that's something I don't understand: how exactly do I figure into this?" the young woman replied. "I know Hana and Rufus are a part of this scheme, but where do I fit in here?"

"Oh, come now, Kim Possible, I know you're smarter than that—after all, you operated my Genetic Zipper the first time we met after seeing me use it only once."

She grinned with a gleeful, maniacal spark in her eyes as the comprehension began crossing Kim's face.

"You need me to take Monkey Fist's place!" the red-head replied aghast. "You're willing to kill all three of us—Rufus, Hana, and me—to bring that maniac back!"

"Not kill you," DNAmy replied with a smile. "The rodent and the little girl should survive even if the process weakens them a bit, and you'll just be trapped in stone under the Curse of the Yono. It's not dead, at least as far as we know, but regardless it gets you out of my way. And best of all, if I see this thing through to the end Monty-kins will finally realize that what he really feels towards me is love and not loathing!"

"You're insane!" Kim let out in quiet disbelief. "And here I've been thinking you might possibly be one of the more normal of the seriously messed-up villains I've faced over the years."

"I still could be," the woman replied with a smile as she walked off. "But it won't matter what you think after we perform the rituals."

For the first time since the trio had been taken, Kim felt a bead of nervousness working its way up her spine.

"Rufus," she said unsteadily, "I hate to say it, but it looks like Ron and the others might be our only way out of this sitch."

The mole rat nodded, and hugged her comfortingly while Hana latched tighter onto the young woman's leg. A few feet away, no one noticed the Lotus Blade acting strangely—it was no longer just blue but was now beginning to emit a faint bluish glow…or that it was vibrating slightly, as though angered…

**+++  
~~ KP ~~  
+++**

"You must calm yourself, Stoppable-san," Sensei reprimanded gently.

"He's going to pay for that one," Ron growled through tightly shut eyes and teeth that were clinched so hard they were grinding. "I'll make sure Bates pays for that."

"Stoppable-san!" the Yamanouchi leader stated firmly, the gentleness gone. "You must control your anger! Your mind must be serene and calm, or else the Mystical Monkey Power you summon will be corrupt and uncontrollable. If this happens, you will not be able to unlock your full potential, and will never be able to defeat the one called Monkey Fist without it requiring sacrifice on your part. You must open your eyes and allow your anger to flow away."

Slowly Ron's eyes opened, and he blinked a few times, stunned to see the sun already beginning to sink low over the mountains. This surprised him, for it had been barely six in the morning local time when he and Joss had arrived at the Yamanouchi School—how long had he been trying for this new skill? But that was not the thing to focus on right now, as Sensei was eyeing him with great concern. Ron hung his head as he realized why.

"I'm sorry, Sensei, but I can't help but feel anger when I see that kind of thing. And the fact that KP was on the receiving end just made it that much harder to take."

"I understand, Stoppable-san, and we will discuss that later. But first you must tell me something: when you summoned your abilities back at the first of the year through your anger, what happened?"

"How did you…" the blonde replied in confusion.

"The Lotus Blade," the Master replied as if it were an answer that anybody should know. "As I told you, you share a connection with the Blade of Toshimiru. When you reacted violently in January, it did as well. Like the moon urges the waves forward when it is at its fullest, so do your emotions urge the Lotus Blade into action and reaction. When you are calm and happy, it remains calm—indeed, there are days I have thought it might sing its joy if it were to gain a mouth. But when you are angered or feeling violent, it shakes with a fury so vicious that only you and a few others would be able to touch it without it turning on you—on these occasions its trembling is so that it might break apart if it were merely an ordinary blade."

Ron frowned. "So then what happens when I become Zorpox?"

A sigh issued forward from Sensei's mouth. "Were it not relevant to your current training, Stoppable-san, I would refuse to answer. At times when the shadowy influences consume you, the Blade becomes a twisted and dark version of itself. As you changed, it changed. Like the fire consuming the forest and leaving behind a scarred landscape, so the evil within you scars both your spirit and the Blade that connects you, turning you both into twisted versions of yourselves. But when you are restored, the Lotus Blade is restored, and carries only the scars that you allow to burden you. We will try again when the sun rises, but first you must have time to clear your mind and repair your body and spirit. For now, let us return to the school so that you may rest."

Ron was about to protest when he suddenly felt just how drained he was. If he had truly been up here with Sensei in the Mediation Garden long enough for the sun to start setting, it meant he had skipped not only lunch but dinner as well. And the strain of focusing so hard on the task at hand had his mind feeling jumbled and fuzzy, as if he'd just gotten finished with one of Steve Barkin's most brutal surprise tests. In fact, the only feeling he could ever remember being even close to the muddiness he was experiencing throughout his entire being was shortly after Kim and the Tweebs had rid his body of "Project: Titan", when he'd felt his regular hunger and renewed mental capacities returning back to him all at once.

"Don't suppose we could get a couple of the other students to help us down the path?" he offered hopefully.

Sensei smiled bemusedly and bowed, gesturing towards the inviting path. "I begin to see what Yori-chan means about your American-style joking, Stoppable-san. Of course it will be our honor and privilege to make the journey ourselves. Not to mention that the sereneness of the walk will help to begin the restoration of our spirits."

_What is it with honorable walking in this place?_ Ron thought with a sigh as they began. _Just hold on KP, and you too, Hana and Rufus. I'll get this thing as soon as I can._

* * *

_a/n_

_This sitch has is nearing its final stage, but as it does questions are being raised:_

_- Will Kim be able to control her urge to solve this alone, or will she let her "Kimness" get in the way?_

_- What effects will Bates' mental state have on the outcome of this?_

_- What is Sensei hiding, and why won't he tell Ron?_

_- And finally, how much longer will it take Ron to master his new skill? And will he be able to do it in time for the good guys to stop Monkey Fist's return?_

_All these questions and more will be addressed in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

_And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. : )  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Sorry it took so long for this update to come out, but I found rather large plot hole in the closing chapters of this story that had to be sewn up. I also completed my move to Arkansas within a few days, but that move included quitting my job, meaning I've been forced to look for another one. And as you know, that's a bleak prospect right now. But hopefully not for too long._

_Still, things could be worse._

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Good news: I made into the Finals of the Sixth Annual KP Fannies! I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have nominated and/or voted for me, and ask for your continued support. Like before, you can find the list of nominations in the "Kim Possible Discussion" forum on this site, or find a quick link on my author page. Voting for this third and final round ends on Sept. 9, so get those votes in. : )_

_Also, I've added another picture over at the DevArt account and on the blog - **Rusty the Black Rat**, another character you'll soon get to meet.  
_


	44. Chapter 44

A/N

Chapter 44 is up and running!

- As Ron struggles with a new skill, others are making astonishing progress. Meanwhile, something's brewing beneath the surface at the Yamanouchi School.

- Kim gets a morning surprise she's not wanting, as well as one she wasn't expecting. And while things seem against them, help may be more aware of the sitch than she thinks...

- Wade gets a boost as he finally uncovers a crucial piece of the puzzle.

- And finally, the fateful day has arrived. As the camps for good prepare for the worst, it's a race against time to rescue Kim, Hana, and Rufus...and the hourglass is almost empty!

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Sensei smiled bemusedly and bowed, gesturing towards the inviting path. "I begin to see what Yori-chan means about your American-style joking, Stoppable-san. Of course it will be our honor and privilege to make the journey ourselves. Not to mention that the sereneness of the walk will help to begin the restoration of our spirits."

_What is it with honorable walking in this place?_ Ron thought with a sigh as they began. _Just hold on KP, and you too, Hana and Rufus. I'll get this thing as soon as I can._

When they reached the school, the two of them found a crowd had gathered around one of the dueling rings. Although neither of them could see the ring itself due to the students gathered around it, it was obvious something great was taking place, for every so often a cheer would go up. Sensei smiled while Ron scratched his head a bit.

"What's going on here?" the blonde asked the Yamanouchi leader as the students began parting to let them through.

The wizened old man merely smiled as the two pushed forward. "If my assumptions are correct, I believe Possible-chan's cousin has been paying attention in her lessons, and that her skills have been greatly improved in our absence. The students of the Yamanouchi School rarely congregate like this when not called to do so…except when they wish to watch an exceptional sparring match."

The Yamanouchi leader's words were confirmed as they were finally able to get a clear view of the ring. Within, Joss and Yori were going at it like two graceful yet deadly panthers. While Joss's fighting style still looked rough and scrappy, it was much more refined that Ron could ever remember it being. In truth, it looked like she'd had several months of training since he'd last seen her fight—but that had been only two days before. And Yori, though she was clearly still the better fighter, seemed much more serious than she would have if this little contest were merely the simple sparring match it had appeared to be that morning.

Ron frowned, a hint of nervousness in his expression. "Uhh, Sensei? How long were we up there for?"

"Calm yourself, Stoppable-san—your training has only taken up one day so far."

"But then how do you explain this?" the young man replied as he gestured towards Joss, who was pulling off a very advanced aerial spin kick with much more skill and fluidity than he had known her to possess. "I mean, KP's cousin is good, but this is just…"

Sensei smiled and held up a hand in a calming gesture towards Ron as the two young women kept at their match. "One of the things that makes Yori an exceptional pupil among many great students, and will one day make her an excellent instructor, is her ability to read the true drive behind her opponent's fighting style. Like the crane adjusts his wings in flight to accommodate the changing air currents, she is constantly able to adjust herself according to the winds of combat she encounters. In battle against those who would harm her, it allows her to get inside the head of her enemy and turn their own skills against them, while in her exercises this same aptitude gives her the ability to help her training partner polish their tactics in a very short amount of time. By merely observing the moves of the one she is helping, she is able to find the one thing they must focus on and help them to concentrate on that above all else."

"And that's why you wanted her to spar with Joss," Ron replied as comprehension dawned. "You wanted her to help Joss find her focus."

"Precisely. Like the stone on the beach is smoothed by the waves of the seas that bear down on it, young Jossilyn-chan must allow the waves of her experience to smooth her skills into her own, unique Path that she alone can follow. However, it is a lesson that will take many more sessions before it will take root and begin to grow. It is also a lesson that you and Possible-chan have each already acquired, and one that eventually I will help you to hone and refine."

The sound of a thud and an, "Oomph!", followed by the applause of those around them, interrupted the question forming in Ron's mind and turned both his and Sensei's attentions back to the ring. Joss was on her back in the dirt, though she was propped up on her elbows, while Yori was slowly coiling out of the toss that had put the younger girl in that position. Though a little slow to rise, Kim's cousin had a surprising smile on her face. Once she had gotten to her feet, she bowed as if she'd been doing it all her life, and Yori returned the gesture with a matching grin.

"Another round?" the Montana cowgirl said with a hopeful eagerness, and Ron was just slightly taken aback to see her accepting the defeat in such a gracious manner—after all, Joss could sometimes be just as competitive as her cousin and thus rarely took a defeat (even a small one such as this) with her current display of calm or ease.

Yori shook her head, however, though she retained the warmth in her smile. "To continue further this evening would hinder the progress you have made, Jossilyn-chan. The true warrior must know when their limits have been reached, and when it is time for rest. And it would seem that training is done for the day."

She gestured over to where Ron and Sensei were standing, and when Joss glanced over she had an astonished quality to her expression, almost as if (like Ron) she hadn't realized how long she had been utilizing the techniques and the training that Yori had been showing her. The reddish-brunette smiled and came over to them, dusting the dirt off before bowing to the young man and the Yamanouchi leader.

"It seems I was correct in asking you to come here, Jossilyn-chan," Master Sensei said as he returned the bow. "You appear to be proving a most apt pupil at what Yori-chan wishes to show you."

"Yeah, she is a pretty good teacher," Joss quipped. "Ah feel like Ah could take on about a hundred of those monkey ninjas Ah've heard about now, and that it would be easier than ropin' cattle while those cows are sleepin'." For emphasis, she pounded her fist energetically into her open palm a few times.

Ron grinned. "Well, you'll probably get your chance, Joss. But Yori's right: not tonight. Tonight, we need to rest. Like you said, we won't be of any use to KP, Hana, and Rufus if we're about to fall asleep when we find them. Not to mention it won't do any good for us to go after them when we don't know where to go, and unfortunately we won't have that information until I can get the hang of this 'sword sight' thing Sensei's trying to teach me."

Sensei smiled and nodded, and directed Hirotaka to show the pair to the guest quarters. He then had Nooni, the Master Lunch Lady, fix up a late dinner for them, as well as instructing all the students other than Yori and Hirotaka to not bother their honored guests that evening. Once these tasks had been completed, he retreated to his own quarters, where he was soon surprised by a visitor he had not expected…well, he had not expected them to come so late.

"You not tell him yet," Nooni scolded in broken English.

_(It is not necessary to speak in English when it is just the two of us, Nooni,)_ Sensei replied with a sigh, the expression sounding quite a bit more tired than should have been normal. _(Japanese will do fine.)_

_(Fine, but I can tell you haven't told him yet, and you should have,)_ she scolded again. _(He deserves to know.)_

_(You know why I have not,)_ he replied. _(Up to now, I was not sure how he would react—the same boyishness that makes him a great warrior also makes him at times act too much like that little boy. Not to mention that you know what will be revealed if he is told as well as I do—while he is ready to hear it, the others it will affect are not.)_

_(And who decides that?)_ she replied, her red and white bandana flopping as she shook her head back and forth, showing her silvery-white hair. _(What happens if this battle is your last? Or what if you go in your sleep tonight? Who is left to tell the truth if you're not?)_

_(If either of those are the will of the honored spirits and ancestors, I will follow their chosen path. And it is also why I have told you what should be done if that should come to pass. As I have said before, even the strongest oak one day must fall.)_

Nooni scowled. _(And the strong maple next to it is left to provide the shade because the oak was too proud and stubborn to admit he'd made a mistake. Don't you talk to me like a student, because I've heard it all before a thousand times plus a hundred times more over the years. And I know you too well to be dissuaded by your sayings. Face it: you're just worried about the consequences of revealing the truth after so long—you're letting your fondness for your current connections blind you to the correct path. And you and I both know he wouldn't like that.)_

Sensei smiled—only Nooni could be that blunt with him, just as she'd always been all of these many, long years. _(Perhaps you are right, and it is time for the truth to be revealed. Very well, I will promise this: once this battle is over, and if it falls in our favor as I believe it will, I shall tell them what they have a right to know.)_

_(All of them?)_ she replied with a skeptical eye. _(Even…)_

_(Yes, Nooni, all of them,)_ he answered with another smile, though this expression wasn't as calm and certain as his previous one.

_(You better,)_ the aging Japanese woman replied with a sagging lean as she turned to leave his quarters. _(I'm getting tired of covering for you. Or maybe I'm just tired in general.)_

_(I believe we both are,)_ Sensei agreed as he watched her go.

* * *

Kim groaned a bit as the sunlight filtering in through a window in the ruins woke her from another uncomfortable night. Just like the previous mornings that she'd awoken chained to this pillar, her arms and shoulders ached from having supported her through most of the night. Because her hands were chained above her head, the best she could hope for at nights was that she would fall asleep still standing. Glancing down, she saw Rufus emerging slowly from her pocket with a groggy yawn, while down by her feet Hana was still snoozing…underneath a blanket that hadn't been there previous nights. Someone, and Kim suspected she knew which of their captors it was, had evidently taken a bit of pity on the little girl and tried to make her more comfortable. The red-head smiled—maybe she was getting through after all.

The young woman stretched as much as possible from her confined position, and it was at this point she noticed a cold she hadn't felt on previous mornings. The structure had felt a little bit drafty ever since the three of them had been brought here, a fact that Kim had attributed both to the age of the temple and the large openness of the chamber itself, but now it felt downright chilly. Her bare arms were covered in chill bumps, and she could feel shivers running up and down her entire being. The red-head also noticed that Bates and DNAmy were both bundled up in warmer coats this morning, as if they'd expected this kind of temperature. They also seemed to be arguing about something, and it wasn't until they got closer that she caught the word "kerosene". Now she knew why they had so many more machines than what they'd need for hiding a power bloom—some of the boxy devices were evidently kerosene space heaters, and apparently more than a few of them had run out of fuel. As she let out an exhale, her breath was clearly visible. Wherever they were located, it was someplace cold, and judging by the wind she could hear whipping around outside, probably somewhere up in the mountains…although that last part was mainly just a guess.

_Still, file that under "would have been nice to know when Sensei and me were talking,"_ she mentally griped.

However, Kim knew from previous experience that complaining about a sitch didn't make it any easier to deal with, so instead she attempted to get her mind off of the cold by once more going over the previous evening's events in her head. Last night she had learned that the villains were only going to have one shot at reviving Monkey Fist, and that had prompted her to attempt to goad Bates and DNAmy into going ahead with their plans, hoping she could rush them and cause them to make critical mistakes and thus blow their one chance to bring back the simian-crazed nutcase. However, the villainess had seen through the heroine's plans, and the revelation had made the butler furious. Kim's cheek still had a dull ache to it from where Bates had backhanded her; thankfully, though, she could tell that it probably wasn't going to leave a mark. Not that whether she showed the results of his efforts made her any less vengeful towards him, but at least she wouldn't be returning to the G.V.U. campus after this ferociously hellish Spring Break with a bruise across her face.

Speaking of Alfred Bates, Kim was beginning to wonder just how far off the deep end the Fiske family butler had gone. Though she'd only met the man once in person (the mission that had started all her problems with Monkey Fist as a matter of fact, when she'd retrieved one of the Jade Monkey idols), her initial impression of the man had been that he hadn't seemed quite as crazed or out there as his employer. However, this entire sitch was beginning to make her question her judgment of his mental stability—if anything, it almost seemed as if Bates's fanatical devotion to the man he served might be even more obsessive than that of Fiske's mania concerning all things related to Tai Sheng Pek Kwar.

The more important development, however, had occurred with Kim's attempts with DNAmy. Although the rogue bio-geneticist had flashed an evil smile at the young woman before walking away, the red-head could tell by the look in the plump woman's eyes that some of what she'd said had made at least a partial impression. Not to mention Amy had sounded at the very least a little bit relieved when she had revealed that Rufus and Hana should emerge from the rituals relatively unharmed, and that Kim wouldn't necessarily be dead. While being petrified wasn't much better in the young heroine's mind, at least DNAmy still didn't appear that eager to willingly take a life. It was only a small consolation, but with Bates seeming more bent towards the freaky end of the mental spectrum the closer Monkey Fist's return got, it was definitely something the young woman felt she should be grateful for.

As these thoughts crossed through her mind, a light flickered in the young woman's mind, as if she had just missed a vital clue concerning the current situation. It was pushed out of her mind, however, as by this time Hana was slowly beginning to wake up. Kim could tell the little girl was starting to feel the effects of the low amount of nourishment they'd been given—the red-head had actually given up her own portion the night before so that Ron's sister could have a bit more to eat. The young woman sighed, and took a deep breath before calling out to a group of DNAmy's creations and monkey ninjas who were feasting on a large pile of fruit.

"Hey, I don't suppose you could toss a banana or something over here, could you? After all, you want us to live long enough and be in good enough health for your rituals, don't you?"

There was something like a grunt from one of the Orangupi, and some sort of large fruit with a rough outer covering came rolling towards them. Kim nodded to Rufus, who used his buckteeth to split it open before on Kim's previous instructions giving a larger portion to Hana. However, the little girl shook her head.

"Kim-Kim eat," Hana replied, indicating that the larger piece should go to the young woman.

Kim smiled. "I'm fine, Hana. Promise."

To prove it, she took a few small nibbles of the piece Rufus had offered to her mouth before feigning fullness. Hana looked skeptical, or at least as skeptical as a toddler could, but seemed to accept Kim's act as she finally began eating her own portion. As Kim watched her bite into the chunk of fruit, she couldn't help but smile that her boyfriend's little sister was apparently concerned about her. But the young woman also knew that if Hana suspected her brother's fiancée was starting to feel at all not up to getting them out of this, it would make the little girl much more upset and worried than she already was. Still, it wasn't easy to keep a positive face about all this when Kim knew the lack of adequate food combined with the new sensation of cold would soon start taking a toll on her as well.

In an attempt to get her mind off her slight hunger pains and slowly-building chilled feeling in her extremities, she glanced over at the Lotus Blade. Instantly Kim had to do a double take—if she hadn't known better, she could have sworn the sword had sprouted a pair of eyes for a second and had looked directly at her. The next instant the eyes were gone, however, and Kim convinced herself it had been an illusion caused by a combination of the cold affecting her and the sunrise filtering through the cracks in the ruins and hitting the metal of the weapon.

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

"Stoppable-san, you must clear your mind and focus," Sensei admonished gently. "If you let yourself be drawn in by what you see through the Lotus Blade, you will not be able to make a proper connection and will not get a clear picture of its location."

Ron bowed his head. "I know Sensei, but it's hard to do when I see the conditions they're being kept in. I mean, KP's having to exist on a few nibbles of food to keep Hana from getting worried about her."

The Yamanouchi leader nodded understandingly. "This may be, Stoppable-san, but the sooner you have obtained the skill and wisdom I am trying to teach you, the sooner we will be able to rescue them from this fate. Now, are you ready to try again? Remember, once you make the connection, you must expand your perceptions so that you are able to see the outside of the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. We will only have a total of twenty warriors apart from Possible-chan, and therefore you must be able to pinpoint the temple's location before we are able to commence with the rescue."

The young man sighed. "Okay, I'll try."

Ron closed his eyes once more. So far he'd already been at this for three hours this morning—Sensei had actually discovered him at the Meditation Gardens before the sun had even begun rising, the cold of the morning fog not even seeming to faze the young man. And although he could now make the connection with the Lotus Blade fairly easily, each time he did so he could only seem to center his mind on the predicament his fiancée, sister, and little buddy were in. As Ron attempted to establish the link again, he focused on trying to see what the Lotus Blade "saw" from its other side. And this time, he felt a slight pull to the west! It was only a tiny prick of force, like someone trying to push him with a piece of hair, but it was definitely there. As he opened his eyes, he saw Sensei smiling and nodding. Looking down he realized why, for he was now seated about three inches back from where he had originally been when he started.

"Very good, Stoppable-san—you have attained the necessary skill. We shall inform those who will accompany us, and will depart within the hour. With help from the Ancestors, we should reach the Grand Temple by sunset."

Ron grinned with a sense of triumph as the two of them quickly rose and began moving with urgent purpose back down the mountain path towards the Yamanouchi School. _Hang on, KP, Hana, and Rufus—we're on our way._

* * *

Wade scowled as he went over his searches once more. The moment Ron had contacted the tech genius about he, Joss, and some of the Yamanouchi denizens going to rescue Kim, Wade had felt a sense of major let-down—the tech genius had been hoping there would be more for him to do before the rescue party left for the villain's location. Ron had assured him they would be relying on the young man's services to cut through any technological barriers once they found where Bates and DNAmy were holed up, but that notion didn't make Wade feel any better. Despite this being no different than a normal mission, where he basically sat around doing the exact same thing most of the time, for some reason waiting on the bench like this for this particular mission was making him feel worse…and it wasn't just the waiting that was bugging him.

Not only was he almost completely useless right now, but he just knew there had to be one last thing he was overlooking. Nothing in the "Ritual of Living Stone" or the "Monkey's Baton" said anything about needing the Lotus Blade, so why had Bates and DNAmy seen fit to steal it from the Yamanouchi School? After all they had to know that the weapon wouldn't be of any use to Monkey Fist if Ron were around, as the young man could also control the Blade's morphing abilities. Granted, whoever wanted to change the sword's form had to be touching it first, but as far as Wade was aware it didn't matter what part was touched. No, Monkey Fist using the sword in the fight that was sure to follow his return couldn't be what the villainous duo intended.

But to Wade's knowledge, that only left room for the possibility of the Lotus Blade being somehow used in one of the rituals. And the only weapon that either ceremony mentioned was the need for the Vizier's Dagger of Chimpanzania in the "Monkey's Baton" one. The knife would be used to draw the blood of the one who had MMP but showed no signs of it, to cross out the Seal of the Yono on the hand of Monkey Fist, and to make the transference symbol on the hand of the one who would take his place. In other words, no mention of the Lotus Blade was made.

Wade leaned back in his chair and folded his hands, holding them him in front of his lips and taking a deep breath to clear his mind. To the outside observer it would have looked like he was praying for clarity, but this was a method he'd developed a while back for taking a step back and organizing his thoughts so he could look at them from another angle.

_Okay, Lotus Blade and Vizier's Dagger—what's the connection? Both are related to monkeys, and so I'm guessing related to the Mystical Monkey Power through that. The Dagger is needed for the ritual, and the Blade can be transformed by an MMP user into any form they wish it to take…wait…_

It was as if a light bulb had suddenly come on with a blaze of glory, and Wade smiled. Although he would later think he should have seen it sooner, he couldn't help but feel pleased that he'd finally figured out where the Lotus Blade played into all this. As he reached for the call button to alert Ron and the others to what he suspected, the tech genius let out a small sigh of relief. After all, this information could take away an edge that the villains thought they possessed. And a loss for the bad guys was normally a plus for the good guys…

* * *

Joss pulled uncomfortably at the combat attire she was wearing. At Ron's insistence the two of them had traded their mission clothes for the warrior garb of the Yamanouchi school (something about her tan cargos and his bright blue shirt sticking out much more easily), but that didn't make the younger Possible cousin feel any less self-conscious about what she currently had on. After all, this was the outfit of someone who had dedicated their lives to the study of the ninja, and wearing it made Joss feel like she were merely a little girl playing dress-up.

"Relax, young Jossilyn-chan," Master Sensei offered warmly. "For the Yamanouchi School, it is not the skill for combat that determines when one is ready for the _shinobi__ shōzoku_—it is the strength of the heart that the warrior takes into that combat. And in this respect, you are more than worthy of wearing the uniform of the Yamanouchi ninja."

"Thank you," she replied, feeling a little better. "So how long do yeh think we got till we get there?"

Master Sensei continued to stroke his beard in thought as he spoke. "I do not know, for we are being guided by the visions the Spirits and Ancestors choose to give to Stoppable-san. Like the blind man who must rely on his other senses to help him see, we must rely on what Stoppable-san may gain from his visions to know our path."

He gestured towards the front of the silent-running helicopter they were flying in. Ron was seated between the two pilots in a lotus position, a light blue glow to his skin. The moment the Yamanouchi master and the young man had arrived back at the school, they had found Joss, Yori, and Hirotaka surrounded by a group of fifteen kneeling Yamanouchi ninja, all of them ready for the coming rescue mission. After the American pair had changed into their Yamanouchi uniforms, the entire group had quickly boarded their transport and taken off, heading to the west just as Ron had felt in his connection with the Lotus Blade.

At first, and to everyone's puzzlement but himself, Sensei had seemed surprised when they crossed both the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea without adding a northern direction to their course, but he merely nodded his understanding that he may have been mistaken about the location of the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. In fact, he seemed rather at peace with the idea that Ron had instead indicated adding a southern slant to their westerly course. And judging by the look on everyone's face, the majority of the rescue party fully expected to arrive at the villains' hideout well before nightfall.

As the day drug on, however, the occupants of the aircraft began to grow nervous; in fact, only Ron and Master Sensei seemed to not have an unusual interest in checking with the ever-later position of the sun in the sky above. Every now and then, Ron would come out of his meditative trance and indicate a small course correction, but then moments later he would be motionless again as the slight blue glow returned to his skin. And whether by choice or not, he never gave any indication to the other occupants of the craft how much farther it would be…

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

Kim could tell there was something different about this day from the moment the villains had consumed their breakfast. Previously, DNAmy's creations and their monkey ninja coworkers seemed almost lazy about setting things up. But this morning they had set to work with feverish urgency the moment their pile of fruit and nuts was finished. Meanwhile, Bates and DNAmy themselves were going over dry, dusty books and aged scrolls with an air of someone who wanted to make sure they had read and memorized all the instructions before attempting something. The villains had even finally pulled out the Vizier's Dagger and the Amulet of Shangorilla to give both a full examination and cleaning.

More distressing to Kim, however, was that around mid-afternoon (or as close as she could judge by the shadows caused by the sunlight filtering through the windows of the building) several of the monkey ninjas came to collect Rufus. The little guy fought bravely, in the process leaving no doubt that he possessed some of the Mystical Monkey Power himself, but twelve monkey ninjas against one naked mole rat not even half their size could hardly be called fair odds. Hana clung to Kim's leg the entire time, and it was all Kim could do to not harm the little girl while she struggled against her bonds.

"Leave him alone, you creeps!" the red-head yelled as the simians took Ron's now unconscious little buddy into a side hall.

The moment the throng disappeared, Hana appeared to finally give in to the tears that she hadn't yet shown, and she cried miserably into the leg of Kim's capris.

"Wufus!" the toddler sobbed, her wails filling the chamber. "Bad monkeys hurt Wufus!"

It would have made Kim smile and possibly giggle or even laugh that Ron seemed to have finally broken his little sister's habit of calling his buddy "Wufee" if it hadn't been tearing at her heart that she couldn't kneel down and hug the little girl. However, try as she might to get out of them, the manacles around her wrists continued to hold fast.

"I know, Hana," Kim offered comfortingly even as she fought the dampness in her own eyes. "And I promise you we'll help him."

Hana looked up at her with wet, questioning eyes. "Kim-Kim scared?"

The red-head took a deep breath. "Hana, can you climb up here to me?"

The little girl nodded, and using the same climbing skills she'd used when Kim had first made the false assumption that Hana Stoppable was just another overly-active little girl she made her way up to where she clasped onto Kim's shirt front and held there. The moment she was there, Kim nuzzled her own head against the top of Hana's in a comforting manner.

"Hana, listen to me: I promise you that no matter what happens I won't let them hurt you. And I'm sure that Ron will be here to help us soon—we just have to have a little faith in your brother. Okay?"

"Brother coming?" Hana replied hopefully, her tears beginning to slowly dry.

Kim nodded and smiled. "Yes, Hana, he will. And then we can all go to the park and have all the ice cream we want and do whatever we want to do. And it'll be a ferociously good time."

The toddler grinned softly and closed her eyes, and the young woman could swear the little girl was picturing the perfect day Kim had just described them having. Without thinking about it, she began to hum the calming tune Ron had taught her again, watching her love's little sister slowly relax a little bit while at the same time knowing that soon a similar scene would pull split the two of them up as well.

* * *

"And you're telling me that the Yamanouchi School doesn't want us to interfere at all, Agent Shioda?" Betty Director replied uncomfortably as she met with Hirotaka's elder sister in her office.

"That is correct, Dr. Director," Tomoe replied with a solemn bow of her head. "Although I am as in the dark as you are, Master Sensei informed me that things will happen tonight that those unfamiliar with Stoppable-san's abilities will see as a threat. As such, he believes it best if said events are not witnessed by Global Justice agents. He made sure that I understood that I am to convey this does not indicate any distrust in you, but rather a mistrust of those who we work with and those who dictate how Global Justice carries out its duty of protection. It is also why I requested this private meeting with you to discuss this."

The patch-eyed woman sighed. "Tomoe, let me ask you something, and I want you to disregard my position as your superior and give me your honest opinion: do you think we put too much faith in those who lead this organization?"

The Japanese agent's expression was just north of a frown. "To assume that those in power will always do what is right has always been considered a folly, Dr. Director. That being said, we have never had any reason to question them before this past summer."

Betty frowned. "Tomoe, if you're going to be part of this operation, it's time you know something: there have been operations in the past that I didn't follow the full guidelines of Global Justice to accomplish because they conflicted with what I believed to be the right thing to do. However, the results were deemed acceptable, and my…less violent methods were 'overlooked in the wake of success.' To give you an idea, when Gemini and the WEE captured Ron I was ordered to bomb the place and eliminate Stoppable before my brother could obtain anything useful. I didn't, and considering what happened this past spring I'd say it's a good thing I didn't, but those were my orders."

Tomoe closed her eyes for a moment. "In that case, I think it wise that we do _not_ inform our superiors that the Yamanouchi School is involved this time."

"My thoughts exactly," Dr. Director replied with a slight nod. "In fact, this conversation never took place—if anyone asks, you are to tell them you were here for a performance review on your most recent field assignment."

"Understood," Agent Shioda replied with a bow as she left the Global Justice leader's office.

* * *

Surprisingly to Kim, she and Hana weren't separated at all. Instead, when DNAmy came up to them shortly after sunset bundled in a warm coat and accompanied by three of her Orangupi and two of the oversized gorillas that possessed stripes and claws (which the young woman had learned the bio-geneticist called "Tigorillas" and were created by genetically splicing together tigers with gorillas) she ordered that Kim be freed of her bonds. As Kim stood there rubbing the stiffness and soreness from her wrists and glaring at the short woman, the bespectacled villainess looked at her almost solemnly.

"Look, Kim, I don't like this any more than you do, but there's no other way for us to get Cuddle Monkey back."

The red-head frowned as she bent down to pick up a visibly shaking Hana, who was reaching up to her indicating that was what she wanted. As she rubbed the little girl's back in an attempt to help her warm up a bit, Kim glared at her foe. "You can drop the act, Dr. Hall. I overheard you and Bates talking the other night, and you said then that there was another way you could have done this that wouldn't have hurt anyone in the process. And before you try and foist the blame for this on him, you're just as much at fault here because you went along with it and helped him kidnap the three of us. And you'll be held just as responsible if things go wrong and one of us winds up seriously hurt or worse."

DNAmy frowned, and judging by the fact that she closed her mouth noiselessly that had been the very excuse she'd been about to offer the young woman. Instead she half-heartedly motioned with her head to her creations to escort the pair to the other side of the main chamber while this side would be prepared for the rituals. As they were escorted, a group of monkey ninjas were bringing Monkey Fist in his stone form into the middle of the chamber, situating him in the center circle of some sort of ancient drawing that had been carved into the ground. Upon closer look, it looked like he had been positioned in the open mouth of a picture of a howling monkey that had been etched into the stone floor.

The journey to the other side of the chamber was also when the young woman and the little girl got their first look of what had become of Rufus after he'd been taken from them. The naked mole rat was now suspended X-shaped in some sort of metal circle that currently hung about ten feet off the ground—if it were raised just a few feet, it would be in the direct line between an opening in the ceiling and the Yono-fied simian villain. Around the little guy's neck was a shining, gorilla-face-shaped necklace with a pair of large, sparkling green stones for its eyes—the Amulet of Shangorilla. Standing underneath the unconscious Rufus was a sinisterly smiling Alfred Bates, and he looked positively pleased to be treating his captives with this much cruelty and disregard.

"Well, Miss Possible, I hope you enjoyed the sunset, since it will be the last one you see for quite some time. Now, if you wish your friends to remain…_relatively_ unharmed after this, you will hand the little girl to the monkey ninjas and take your position here," he said, indicating a chair which had apparently had fresh manacles crudely attached to it recently.

Before Kim could do that (or do what she wanted to do and tell him what she thought of his request), however, DNAmy stepped in front of her and motioned for two of her Tigorillas to snap to her sides. The protective nature of the move surprised the red-head, but not nearly as much as the exchange that followed the action.

"What do you mean, '_relatively_'?" the villainess snapped. "You told me that neither of the other two would be harmed. And wasn't it supposed to be me who took the little girl from her, Bates?"

"About that," Bated replied with a sneer, "I've decided that you're far too undedicated to bringing the Lord Monty Fist back to be trusted to follow through with this, my dear Amelia. And if you think your _abominations_ will protect you, then you are in for nice little surprise."

"_I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING MY BABIES THAT!_ And what do you mean I'm in for a surprise?"

"Just try and have them stop me from taking the little girl if you want to see what I mean," the Fiske family butler answered with a crazed look to both his stare and his smile.

"Amy, be careful," Kim whispered with a warning hand on the woman's shoulder while at the same time hugging Hana closer to her with her other arm. "He knows something crucial here. Trust me: if I've learned anything from all the times I've foiled bad guys over the years, it's how to read when they know something they think will significantly improve their chances."

"Regardless," DNAmy replied confidently. "Protect Mumsie, my babies!"

Bates smiled shrewdly as his eyes narrowed, and he began to softly mutter in a strange, almost trance-like voice. "_Gor-ill-sim-i-an. Or-an-gu-pan-zee. Gor-ill-sim-i-an. Or-an-gu-pan-zee…"_

As he continued to murmur the odd words over and over, Kim noticed both the Orangupi and the Tigorillas began to look confused. Then they suddenly dropped their defensive poses and began turning towards their creator, their eyes focusing intently on her. Although she couldn't see DNAmy's face, the red-head could tell just from the way the rogue bio-geneticist stiffened up that this was the last possibility that had been on the woman's mind. Glancing over at Bates, the heroine saw his sadistic smile growing even wider and his eyes taking on the shape of fully-visible yet insane-looking saucers.

"You asked how I could control Lord Monkey Fiske's followers so well, my dear Amelia? Well, _this_ is how I accomplish that feat! It is an ancient incantation that the Lord discovered many years ago and squirreled away in case his disciples ever rebelled against him. And it works now on your _abominations_ because you were foolish enough to include primate species in their creation. Now, my followers, take her away! She is not worthy to witness the glorious return of the Supreme Monkey King!"

"Run for it, Amy!" Kim yelled before she could think.

But it was far too late for running, as the Orangupi and the Tigorillas quickly snatched up their creator and began toting her bodily out of the main chamber, carrying her as if she were an awkward crowd-surfer at a rock concert. The short, round villainess let out more than a few protesting shrieks and pleas for her babies to release her and listen to her, but the cries seemed to fall on deaf ears. The last Kim saw of DNAmy was the rogue bio-geneticist being carried kicking and screaming through an archway and into a side chamber.

"Now, where were we?" Bates growled menacingly as he glared threateningly at Kim and Hana, the former feeling the latter latch tighter on to her shirt as she wrapped her arms more protectively around the little girl…

* * *

Joss glanced nervously at the exact spot on the horizon line where just under half an hour earlier she and the others had witnessed the final sliver of the sun disappear. She had been convinced they would reach the place where her cousin and the others were being held long before the solar orb vanished, but by Ron's indications they still had a bit to go. Glancing out the window to the south, she could see the shadowy outlines of a mountain range which she guessed must be the Himalayas given the direction they'd been traveling. When they'd first appeared, she'd been both awestruck and excited—the awe came from seeing the famous mountain range for the first time while riding in a special ops helicopter with a highly trained group of ninja warriors, while the excitement had been spawned by the sentiment that Joss felt she knew why the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors had been lost to the mysteries of the passage of time. However, Ron had given no indication to turn towards the peaks, and now that the sun had set the once friendly-looking mountains had taken on a darker air, the jaggedness of the outlines seeming to cut violently into the night sky like a row of razor sharp teeth.

Turning her gaze at Ron she noticed his expression had gone tight once more, as it had many times that day. Sensei had explained the fits to her by saying that the young man did that when he was trying to find some sort of direction, and normally it would only last a few seconds before her cousin's boyfriend would open his eyes and offer up a slight alteration to their course. However Joss had noticed that the later it got the more of these episodes Ron seemed to have, and a few times when he opened his eyes he looked as if he had awoken from some sort of horrible nightmare. Not to mention that the greater time these instances of frustration lasted the longer the apprehension in his eyes would linger. Unfortunately whatever Ron was dealing with seemed to be something that he alone could face (or maybe he just wasn't willing to let the others help him), and so the rest of the occupants of the helicopter could only leave him be and try to help him calm down if the "sword sight" offered additional unpleasantness during his visions.

Shaking her head to get her mind off of her inability to help the young man, Joss moved slowly towards the cockpit. From the start, Yori and Hirotaka had volunteered to be the pilots, and Sensei had not disagreed with them. As she approached them she could hear mutterings between the pair, and even though they were talking in Japanese she noticed the talk seemed to dry up pretty quickly the moment they realized she was standing there.

"What's our location?" she asked in an attempt to break the mounting iciness of uncomfortable silence.

"We are currently heading west by southwest, and our location just a few seconds ago was 29' degrees North by 84'30 degrees East," the shinobi replied stiffly, not taking his eyes off the view out the helicopter's windshield where snow now flew through the air before them.

"You two worried 'bout what we're gonna face?" the Montana cowgirl said with what she hoped was an amicable and supportive grin.

"No," Yori replied with a glance back at the glowing blue form of Ron Stoppable. "We are worried about Stoppable-san on this mission. In taking Kim Possible, Hana, and Rufus-san, the villains have taken the three people he holds most dear, and the effect that can have on a warrior's mind is always an uncertainty. Although he appears to be holding himself together, Hirotaka and I know Stoppable-san too well to accept that as what he is really feeling. We are concerned how he will react if any of the three of them have been in any way harmed when we arrive."

Joss nodded. "Ah know what you mean. Ah keep thinkin' he's gonna do something similar to what he did a couple months ago at G.V.U. when the WEE attacked the campus. For a bit there not even mah cousin could reach him, and it wasn't until she figured out that he was reactin' that way cause of what that guy did to Monique that we were able to get through to him. And even though she did her best to hide it, Ah know even Kim was scared of him and what he would do that night."

The kunoichi had opened her mouth to reply when suddenly Ron's glow blazed brightly for a couple seconds and then winked out completely.

"We're here," he stated with a calm seriousness.

There didn't appear to be anything around, though, and what little Japanese Joss knew allowed her to overhear some of the Yamanouchi denizens wondering whether the stress and worry had finally gotten to Ron and made him flip his lid. Looking out at the ground below, she couldn't honestly say she didn't partly agree with their thinking, as the chopper appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. Granted, the snow swirling around them did make it a bit more difficult to see, but still she figured that something called "The Grand Temple" would be a bit easier to spot if that's really where they were right now. Despite her misgivings, however, she kept straining her eyes for whatever detail she could find that would confirm what Ron had announced.

"There," Sensei finally declared, pointing to a spot along the side of one of the mountains.

As Hirotaka began taking the helicopter down in the direction indicated and circling to find a place to safely land the occupants of the craft got a good look at the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. Though the ancient structures were covered in snow and looked like they had taken a severe beating at the hands of the passage of time, the entire place still held an air of enchanting mysticism to it. Indeed, though many of the structures appeared made of wood as much as of stone, the timber must have been strong, for these parts looked as though they had barely aged and would still be livable if someone so chose. The main temple itself sat on a peak above the rest, almost blending into the top of the mountain if you weren't looking at it. Slightly farther down, a small gathering of buildings almost like a small village had been built on a relatively flat area (at least compared to the rest of the mountain it was flat), and they were circled around a small courtyard-like area with a large statue of a monkey in meditation in the middle. Even by modern standards, the sheer durability accompanied by airs of historical mystery that the place seemed to exude was breathtaking.

Unfortunately, this same prospect also made it hard to land in a good tactical position. If Hirotaka chose safety as the highest need their little strike team would be easy prey, as the only apparently completely safe landing position would be right in the courtyard next to the monkey statue—in fact, there was already another aircraft that most likely belonged to one of the villains sitting to the statue's right. Yet if he chose stealth and the typical approach of the ninja by landing outside the village, the path to the Temple would be treacherous and they might lose members of the team before the fight that was sure to come had even begun.

"Just land it, Hirotaka," Ron finally declared after several moments. "If they spot us circling, they'll know anyway, and I'd rather be going at them face-to-face than take a chance they try to shoot us down."

Hirotaka glanced at Sensei, who remained neutrally stoic, an indication that this was a decision the elder teacher of the Yamanouchi School had chosen to not have a part in influencing. Understanding the message, the Japanese young man nodded, and quickly sat the craft down on the meditating simian's left. As they disembarked, Joss glanced around. The fresh snow was crunching comfortably under their feet, but this same fact made her slightly curious.

"Is it just me," the Montana cowgirl intoned slightly above a whisper in the howling wind, "or is this just a bit too quiet?"

Sensei glanced up at the sky, where the clouds above seemed to be opening up like some foreboding mouth that was preparing to swallow the temple in one gulp.

"No," he replied with a grave seriousness. "And I believe the reason it is quiet is that we may be too late."

* * *

_a/n_

_Can you feel the mounting storm that approaches? Things are certainly beginning to look bleak for the good guys, and it's causing a lot of questions to pop up?_

_- What are the secrets that Nooni wanted Sensei to reveal to the others, and how will they affect those they pertain to?  
_

_- Just how much of Bates' sanity is left, and what does that mean for Kim, Hana, and Rufus? Especially now that the tentative safety net of DNAmy is apparently a non-factor?_

_- Are Ron, Joss, and the Yamanouchis too late to save their friends? And if they're not, how much time do they have left before it IS too late?_

_- Will Monkey Fist be brought back? And what will happen if he is?_

_All these questions and more will be addressed in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

___And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_Sorry this took so long to get out, but life hasn't been exactly kind to me in recent months. Although I'm back in my hometown my social life is still virtually non-existent, and the only employment I've managed to wrangle is a case of IF they call I get to go in, which only happens at most 3-4 times per week for just barely minimum wage. I'm still looking for a more dependable job, though when I'll get one is anybody's guess at this point.  
_

_However, despite that I remain dedicated to finishing this saga. Once this tale wraps up, the next one will follow shortly, hopefully this time without so many long breaks between updates and a more set schedule of posting chapters._

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_The pictures I promised are still in the works, as is one in particular that I promised many months ago (I promise I haven't forgotten you...I'm just a slow artist...O_O...). I will say I hope to start posting some preview posters for my next story relatively soon.  
_


	45. Chapter 45

A/N

After a six-month hiatus, Chapter 45 is finally up and running!

- Ron and the others are on the scene, but are they too late to save Kim, Hana, and Rufus?

- What will happen to DNAmy?

- Has Bates gone truly insane? Or is he privy to things others aren't?

- Will Monkey Fist return?

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle, and Stephen Silver.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

Sensei glanced up at the sky, where the clouds above seemed to be preparing to open up like some foreboding mouth that would soon swallow the temple in one gulp.

"No," he replied with a grave seriousness. "And I believe the reason it is quiet is that we may be too late."

"I don't think so," Ron countered, shaking his head with a slow, determined seriousness as he pointed up at the night sky. "When Wade called Joss to tell us what he suspects about the Lotus Blade's connection to the rituals, he said that the new moon had to be in a proper alignment to a bunch of stars to begin that 'Ritual of Living Stone' thing. And it doesn't look like it's lined up yet. Plus, I'd don't think KP would give up easily. Not to mention that I think I'd know if Kim or Hana or Rufus had been hurt…"

The tension the other members of the rescue party felt at that moment might have caused one of them to ask how the blonde young man could possibly know that if they'd stood there two seconds longer. However, Joss chose that exact moment to suddenly yank Yori and Hirotaka, the two closest to her, into the space between two of the village buildings! The sheer surprise at the action (as well as how easily the girl had pulled off the maneuver given the pair's well-known reaction speed) caused all present to follow suit and duck for cover themselves, and it soon became apparent exactly what the Montana cowgirl had seen. Coming down the path were two of the striped gorilla beasts that had been part of the attack on the Yamanouchi School which had led to the theft of the Lotus Blade, and three of the six-armed orangutans. They were holding a struggling form above their heads, and appeared almost zombie-like in their movements…as if they were under some sort of spell. As the creatures got closer, a very familiar woman's voice (or at least familiar to a couple of those present) could be heard shrieking and screeching over the howling mountain winds which were whipping through the ancient village.

"Stop it!" DNAmy screeched at the creatures in a high-pitched wail. "Stop it right now, you bad beasties! Put me down this instant!"

The products of her experimentation ignored her, however, and continued heading towards their apparent destination—the sheer drop off one of the cliff edges. The raiding party would have probably have been content to let the genetically-combined beasts toss the rogue bio-geneticist right off the mountain, but pesky morals wouldn't let them turn a blind eye to her predicament. Regardless of how much they might dislike the bespectacled woman and hate what she'd recently been a part of, when they looked at the situation, the Yamanouchi denizens, Joss, and Ron could only come to one conclusion—for whatever reason DNAmy had lost control of her creations and was now in desperate need of assistance.

Sensei nodded an order and waved his hand slightly forward in a slow, chopping motion, and each beast suddenly found itself beset by two of the Yamanouchi denizens. The roars of surprise were fierce yet fleeting as the ten ninja all let out quick strikes at pressure points that left all of the creatures falling over dazed and unconscious. The exchange happened so fast in fact that DNAmy found her person tossed bodily into the air in a rolling tumble that ended with her upside-down in a snow pile so that everything above her waist was buried out of sight. For a few brief moments, the direness of the sitch was forgotten as they watched her comically kicking her legs in a helpless, upward motion, and no one felt called to rush to her aid now that she was out of immediate danger. However, she was soon freed by two more of those who called Yamanouchi home, who pulled her out and then held her fast between them. Her glasses were hanging at a rakish angle, and that combined with what the ordeal had done to her hair and the red nose the cold snow had left her with gave the bespectacled woman the look of one who has probably drunk a few too many.

"DNAmy," declared Ron with a fire in his eyes so fierce it worried those who knew him best. "Where are Kim, Hana, and Rufus?"

Unfortunately, the still slightly dazed rogue bio-geneticist didn't appear to hear him. Instead, her mournful gaze fell upon the fallen creatures who had moments before been about to toss her off the mountain, a sheen of what appeared to be tears starting to form in her eyes.

"They didn't mean it," she moaned softly, her voice quivering a bit. "They would never hurt me on purpose."

"What did you do with KP and the others?" the young man pressed, grabbing her viciously by the shirt. When he did, the Yamanouchis who had held her released their grip, yet still stood guard next to her like watchful prison escorts.

"Temple," was all he got before she turned to look back at the Tigorillas and Orangupi. "They would never hurt their Mommy on purpose."

"Ah think that's the best we're gonna get," Joss said calmly with a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Seems to me she's more interested in makin' sure those things're okay than with tryin' to stop us."

Ron nodded, and let go of the pink shirt rather roughly. In response to the move, DNAmy fell backwards into the snow. Even as she slowly righted herself, however, she had the air of a child who had been greatly disappointed by something they had looked forward to.

"I agree, Jossilyn-chan," Yori replied as she stepped forward to look at the woman, who was now sitting forlornly in the snow while new flakes collected on her shoulders and hair. "She does not possess the obsessed look she did when she had Stoppable-san lead her to Monkey Fist, and thus does not appear to be a threat to us this day. We should press forward and make our priority the safety of our friends."

Hirotaka shook his head, however. "And yet, Yori, do you not think it strange that she could not control the creatures she created? From what you and Sensei have told me of that encounter, as well as what I have learned about previous meetings between her and Kim Possible, she normally shows little to no difficulty in getting her creations to follow her bidding aside from one isolated incident involving a dinosaur. At the very least I would assume that none of them have ever attempted to kill her."

Ron considered the puzzling matter for a moment. "Maybe you're right, Hirotaka, and it may be connected to something else. Neither Wade nor Kim could figure out how Bates was controlling the monkey ninjas, and now his supposed partner in all this has trouble commanding the beasts she created. Maybe the two are related?"

Sensei nodded, eyeing the blonde with a proud gleam to his eye. "Very perceptive, Stoppable-san. It may be wise for us to be cautious as we approach, else we act as the unawares field mice who are swooped up by the surprise appearance of the hungry owl."

The American young man closed his eyes for a moment. "If KP were here I think she'd say we need to take advantage of the size of the group and split up so we can cover more ground, and also so we can take Bates by surprise. So I think that's what we should do. Sensei, you take about half of the group and see if you can find a higher entrance than the front door. Yori and Hirotaka, you take the others and try to find a side entrance to the Grand Temple, something to catch them off-guard a bit."

"What about me and you?" Joss asked expectantly. "Or are yeh just plannin' to have us mosey in the front door?"

Ron smiled. "Actually I was, Joss. I figure the best distraction here would be a direct one."

The rest nodded their agreement, and they were about to begin when DNAmy made an odd noise. Turning around, the rescue party found that she had finally moved, crawling a few feet through the snow so she could gently stroke the striped fur on the head of one of the still-unconscious Tigorillas, almost like a mother would do with a sick child. When she spoke up, though softly, her voice and her words trembled.

"Ron, don't underestimate Bates—he's gone further off the edge than Cuddle Monkey ever thought of going. Monty-kins may have wanted power, and was willing to kill to get it, but only if necessary. He also didn't like me, but he never tried to get rid of me by turning my babies against me. Bates has gone truly insane, and if you aren't careful the price of beating him could be a lot more than you think."

Ron turned his back on her, and spoke over his shoulder in a voice and tone that, although not high-pitched, was _very_ reminiscent in its coldness of a certain cackling alter ego. "Amy, I haven't treated this as normal since we figured out you were targeting Hana _and_ Rufus. And when you took KP, you _guaranteed_ I'd have my head in the game this time."

With that, he marched forward, the uncharacteristically violent crunching of the mountain snow under his stalking footsteps giving testament to the fury bubbling harshly inside him. The rest of the rescue party watched in stunned silence for a moment, glancing at each other nervously. Although none of the Yamanouchi residents had been present at the fight against the WEE in January, they had all heard tales, and none of them knew exactly how they should react to this darker showing from the young man. And as the one person who had witnessed his fury then, Joss wasn't sure how to react to the blonde's current attitude either. Only a minute passed, however, before she, Yori, and Sensei began following Ron, and that decision seemed to galvanize the rest into a silent agreement that they would do the same.

As DNAmy watched them heading up the mountain path, she felt chills running up and down her spine that had nothing to do with the frigid iciness of the winds swirling around the mountain. In all of her prior encounters with Kim Possible, the rogue bio-geneticist had always written off the young woman's sidekick Ron Stoppable as a bit of a clumsy goof who was more of a hindrance than a help. He might have had a few moments, and had proved pretty useful in locating Cuddle Monkey when the man had hidden from Amy, but still the woman had always thought it a puzzle why the red-headed heroine ever brought the blonde young man along. Now, though, DNAmy saw the young man through new eyes, and the bespectacled scientist had to admit that the newly-realized consequences of what had been done scared her more than a little. It also made the price of getting Monty back seem a lot higher than it once had.

"Bates, what have we unleashed?" she whispered in a frightened voice that was swallowed up by the howling mountain winds.

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

To say that Kim gave truth to Ron's belief that she wouldn't give up easily could probably be considered in the running for understatement of the century. Shortly after the Tigorillas and Orangupi had forcibly escorted DNAmy out of the main chamber of the Temple, the red-head had seized upon the momentary surprise that followed to attempt at least something…_anything_ to get herself, Hana, and Rufus out of this dangerous (and now apparently deadly) sitch. Although she didn't fully understand why it had happened, the moment the bespectacled woman's creations exited the room there had been what appeared to be a momentary lapse in the focus of the monkey ninjas. It reminded Kim of the time she and Ron had caught a magic show in Las Vegas while waiting for a ride after helping out a scientist team who had been stationed there—indeed, the monkey ninjas had acted almost identical to the post-hypnotism recovery of the the audience members the magician had brought up on stage. And if that was the case, it could mean possibly slower reactions, which would in turn mean that Kim might have found a way to beat them even when outnumbered. After all, her speed and her quick-strike ability in combat had always been some of her biggest assets.

Quick as a flash, she tightened her grip on Hana and flipped over the momentarily dazed simians. The moment she landed she was dashing for a row of columns on one side of the room, hoping to possibly thin the numbers a little bit before facing her opponents. Behind her, the monkeys' cries of surprise were quickly drowned out by Bates's furious yells to get after the pair. With less than a spare second to make up her mind, she made a snap decision and quickly set Hana down in a narrow alcove that was just barely large enough for the toddler to sit comfortably.

"Hana, I need you to crawl back a bit and stay there," she commanded quickly yet gently. "And don't come out unless I tell you to, okay?"

"Kay," the toddler replied as she crawled back out of Kim's reach, her quietness seeming to say that she sensed the direness of the situation even at her young age.

The young woman nodded at her and smiled, and turned around just in time to see the monkey ninjas beginning to pour through the columns. Thankfully, Kim's hunch about the columns thinning the numbers slightly was spot on; unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the primates rapidly figuring out the simple solution of coming through three at a time by leaping over and under each other. She fought valiantly, but just like at the Stoppable house it was simply too much for one teen heroine to handle by herself. In just a few short minutes, the black-clad warriors had forced her to the side of Hana's small hidey-hole, and were stretching their arms in to grab the little girl.

"Miss Possible, why prolong this?" Bates offered with an evil smile as he watched the painfully short skirmish taking place. "You and I both know that it is useless to resist when you are so far outnumbered. And the fact that you think your stashing that little girl in there will keep us from using her for the rituals is a folly—after all, that woman's abominations have a longer reach than either you or I could hope to match."

He stepped forward a bit and took a deep breath, beginning the strange chant once more. "_Gor-ill-sim-i-an. Or-an-gu-pan-zee. Gor-ill-sim-i-an. Or-an-gu-pan-zee…"_

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers and motioned forward. Instantly one of the Orangupi came forward and stretched its long arms into the alcove. Although she couldn't see it happening, Kim could hear Hana scrambling backwards to try to get away from the creature. Unfortunately, it really did seem a futile effort…especially when the Orangupus withdrew Hana from the alcove not ten seconds after its first attempt, clutching her by the back of her dress. Hana was swinging her tiny fists furiously, but she stopped when Bates pulled out the Vizier's Dagger and held the pointed end mere inches from her—even at her young age, Hana seemed to understand quite clearly that the blade could easily hurt her. With an evil glint Bates turned towards Kim.

"Now, will you cease this foolish stalling and cooperate in the revitalization of the Lord Monkey Fiske, or will you force me to slice off one of this little brat's fingers in exchange for your compliance?"

Kim froze on the spot, one of the monkey ninjas held aloft and unconscious in her hand, ready to be the projectile missile she had intended him to be. As much as she wanted to keep fighting, the red-head knew that although Ron might understand he would have a hard time fully forgiving his fiancée if her continued resistance caused Hana to get hurt unnecessarily; more importantly, Kim knew she would never be able to forgive herself. Glaring at Bates, she dropped the out-cold monkey ninja to the floor and relaxed out of her combat mode. Yet when she spoke it was clear the defiance was still boiling in her veins.

"Alright, Bates, you win this round. But know now that if you hurt Hana anymore than is necessary I will find a way to make you pay. If it's at all _possible _to still come after you when this is finished I will, petrified stone or not." The emphasis Kim put on the word that was also her surname carried a darkness to it that would have probably made even those who knew her best afraid of what the red-head might do in retaliation if Hana came to harm.

However, with that the young woman allowed the monkey ninjas to lead her over to the throne-like structure made of the same stone as the temple. She didn't put up a struggle when they opened and closed the manacles on her neck and wrists and locked them tight, nor did she resist when they added a rope to the bindings. As they wrapped the rope many times around her upper arms and torso, she noticed that all of the manacles were pin-and-barrel hinged. With their obvious age all of them had one end of the pin that had been somehow dislodged, whether by breaking off or rusting she couldn't really tell, and the manacle keeping her neck secured seemed likely to fall apart with only a little stress. It seemed strange to Kim that with all the technology in the room the villains hadn't thought to update the restraints that now held her beyond adding some rope to them, but upon a quick close inspection she realized that Bates and DNAmy probably hadn't been the ones who attached the irons to the chair. Instead the metal looked almost as old as the stone that comprised the chair and the Grand Temple itself, as if someone many years ago had somehow known that this chamber would one day be used for this dark purpose…or maybe had designed it for this very night…

Determining that she would focus on what was happening instead of wondering about the origins of the location, Kim watched with a somewhat horrified fascination as Hana was brought forth to a second, smaller structure that could almost be considered an altar. Though seeming somewhat newer than the rest of the chamber, it still showed its age—however it also appeared to have been meant for someone who was either willing to be part of this or already dead, as it held no restraints. Instead, four of the black-clad monkey ninjas held a clearly scared yet silent Hana with her arms out in a ready and waiting position. The frightened toddler kept staring over at Kim with a worried look, and all the young woman could do was smile comfortingly at her.

"The sacrifices are prepared, Milord," Bates crooned in an almost sickening puppy dog manner as he stepped towards the petrified Monkey Fist. "And now the hour of your glorious return is upon us."

At that moment, (right around the time that DNAmy was being pulled from the snow pile) the shadow of the new moon appeared in the opening in the ceiling, and the stars that were visible around it in grew brighter and seemed to surround it like an honor guard. Suddenly, the moonlight took on a brighter glow, much more so than should have been coming from a moon at the zenith of its dark phase. It was actually closer to the whitish gleam of a beam from a full moon, and now it appeared to be focused on the chamber alone like some kind of divine spotlight. Bates stuck his hand reverently into the mysterious light, smiling with great satisfaction as he gave a signal with his other hand. A pair of the Tigorillas began turning at a dual-handled crank that Kim hadn't noticed before, and with the groaning sound of aged chain the circular disc where Rufus was held fast began rising into the moonbeam. When the ring reached the ray of moonlight and entered it, the light seemed be absorbed by the unconscious mole rat's body until he was shining, at which point two concentrated beams shot downward out of the emeralds that formed the eyes of the Amulet of Shangorilla. The beams continued their path towards the ground, hitting the eyes of the monkey floor carving in whose mouth the petrified Monkey Fist now stood.

The next few moments appeared to happen in slow motion. The floor etching began to take on the same glow around its edges, the effect starting at the outside and working its way inwards. When the glimmering reached the carving's mouth, it started to shoot towards the ceiling, creating a beam of light akin to a transporter effect that Kim had seen on one of those sci-fi shows that Ron and Cousin Larry liked to watch. The effect that followed could only be described as both foreboding and remarkable, as the statue that was the simian villain began to smoke and give off a hissing sound similar to that of a sautéing piece of meat. Slowly, cracks of light began to form at his feet and move upward. Their growth was gradual, but soon the entire form of Monkey Fist was covered in them from head to toe—if asked, Kim would have said the effect made him look as if he were coated with a giraffe pattern made of light. Then there was a great cracking sound, and beginning at his feet the stone which covered him began to take on a liquefied texture. As they all watched, the toes of Monkey Fist's feet began to slowly shift, much like what will happen to a hospital patient who is regaining control of their limbs.

As this was occurring, all on the floor were so enraptured that none of them noticed the figures sneaking in through the windows. Along the outside walls of the chamber, Yori and Hirotaka's group was slowly spreading out and around a stone edge, each ninja hiding behind a column and attempting to space themselves out a bit in preparation for the moment Ron called the signal to move in. Above them on a ring approximately ten feet above the ground that held a small upturned ledge, Sensei's group was also maneuvering into a position that would allow them to cover as wide an area as possible. And just outside the door to the chamber, Ron and Joss were standing in wait just out of sight.

"Rufus," Ron remarked in quiet shock when he carefully glanced around the corner so as not to be seen. "Hang on, buddy."

"Ah think he's okay, Ron," Joss replied quietly as she stuck her head around just under his, using both her words and her tone to try to reassure him and keep him focused. "Just looks knocked out to me."

Glancing at Kim, Ron was wondering why she was just sitting there…until he saw the restraints keeping her in place and her direct look of concern focused almost entirely on Hana. Despite the dire sitch she found herself in, it really did appear that Kim was more concerned about Hana's safety than her own. Along with this realization came the one that told Ron that threatening Hana would have been the only way to get Kim to go along so peacefully. He smiled slightly.

"Ron, you okay there?" Joss queried in a quiet yet worried whisper.

"Fine," he replied quickly. "Listen, Joss—can you see Yori?"

The Montana cowgirl glanced around a bit before quietly replying, "Yeah, Ah can."

Ron let out a deep breath and flexed his fingers, never taking his eyes off of Kim or Bates. "When this things starts, I want the two of you to make your primary focus getting Kim and Hana free. According to what Wade dug up, Bates can't complete this thing without them, so get both of them out of here as fast as possible. Got it?"

"Got it," Joss replied. "But you know mah cousin ain't gonna be happy just sittin' on the sidelines or runnin' to safety. Judgin' by the look in her eyes, Ah'd say she wants a piece of the action right now, 'specially if it means she gets a crack at Bates."

"I know, Joss, but you and I both know she's probably not in the best condition right now after being held captive for the past few days. If you have to, take her out of here by force, but get her out of this fight. Since you're her family, she might listen to you."

"Maybe," the Montana cowgirl replied unsurely, but steeled herself when she saw Ron's reassuring smile. "Okay, Ah'll do it."

"Thanks, Joss. I'm counting on you and Yori here."

"But what're you gonna do, Ron?"

The young man let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I'm going after Bates myself—I've got to stop him from completing this thing," he replied with a grim set of his jaw. "So I guess it's now or never. Ready?"

Joss nodded, and the two of them stepped defiantly threw the doorway into full view of the chamber.

"Let them go right now, Bates!" Ron's voice echoed hard against the stone walls.

"Ron!" Kim called in what sounded like surprised confusion mixed with excited relief—it was hard to tell over the loud screeching of the monkey ninjas who were turning to face the two intruders.

"Ron Stoppable, you're finally here," the Fiske butler declared with a maniacal smile. "At last, the final player is here to bear witness to the return of the One, True Monkey Master. Though I am surprised you brought so small a force when you face an army of the Lord's servants. Just the two of you, and you think you can take _all_ of us on?"

"Wrong, Bates, you despicable _hedoro_," Yori declared as she and Hirotaka and their fighters stepped around the columns. "Stoppable-san did not come to this party alone! And we will never allow you to bring that vile _yamazaru_ back to life!"

"Yori speaks the truth," Sensei declared as he and his fighters stepped out on the ledge above, the entire lot of them holding various forms of kunai and shuriken in firing position. "Monkey Fist's imprisonment was a punishment handed down by the Ancient Spirits for trying to harness a darkness that should never have been unleashed, and he must serve the entirety of his sentence."

"Your move, Bates!" growled Ron through clenched teeth. "Surrender or fight?"

The short man's smile grew more sinister. "_My_ move, you say? _Surrender_, you say? I have already made _my_ move, _boy_! In mere moments the transformation will be complete, and _you_ will be the ones surrendering to Lord Monty Fist."

"Wait…what?" Ron replied, confused. "Look, dude, it's either 'Monty Fiske' or 'Monkey Fist'—call him one or the other."

"He's already flipped off the deep end, Ron," Kim declared angrily. "He actually thinks he's been talking to his master while Monkey Fist was still encased in stone."

"Be…cause…he…has…been," came a slow, gravelly version of a familiar voice, one that many thought they'd heard for the last time.

All eyes focused on the center of the room, where the smoke that had been emanating from the petrified Monkey Fist was almost completely vanished into the air. However, instead of being frozen in the pose he had been with his arm outstretched and a look of fear, Monkey Fist's limbs were beginning to slowly move. Though he still held the appearance of being a petrified statue with his hair, skin, and clothes all possessing the look and color of stone, and his movements were still painfully slow, it was obvious he was very much mobile once more…even if his voice sounded like it was being forced through a shower of rocks. However, his eyes still held the dark and blanked expression they had, making it hard to tell where he was currently looking.

"Thanks to my servant's unwavering loyalty, he was able to communicate with me while I was still held prisoner by the Yono. And now, thanks to his devotion, Monkey Fist lives once more!"

Time stood still for half a second before two voices rang out in competition at the same time.

"Milord! The blades you need to complete the 'Monkey's Baton' ritual!" yelled Bates as he hurled the Lotus Blade and the Vizier's Dagger to his master.

"Yamanouchi! Now!" roared Ron at almost the same instant, leaping forward in a desperate attempt to snatch at least one of the blades.

However, Monkey Fist still caught the sword, his fingers curling triumphantly around the scabbard. Yet due in part to Ron's attempt to catch a blade and in part to his still sluggish movement, he missed the dagger. Instead, it clanged on the ground and skidded into an alcove similar to what Hana had been hiding in moments earlier.

"The Vizier's Dagger! Nooooo!" the petrified villain screamed in angered rage.

The rattling of the metal against stone combined with the cry sent out an immediate reaction in the gathered, and the ceiling and walls of the Grand Temple seemed to drip ninja as the Yamanouchi denizens went into action. In no time at all what had been a room that had felt almost hallowed in its silence became the site of a large and loud battle. The scene quickly became pandemonium as the ninja, human and simian alike, threw themselves at each other with the polished ferocity only one who has seen true battle could possibly display. Staffs smashed against each other and metal rang against metal, all while kunai and shuriken rained from the air at the bestial opponents. Rarely would one see such a sight and not be taken to at least some degree of wonder at the exquisite yet fierce strikes being exchanged between practiced combatants.

However, monkey ninjas were not the only members of the force which Team Possible and the Yamanouchi ninja now found themselves struggling against. The air was also permeated with multiple carnal roars as each remaining Tigorilla and Orangupus also leapt into the fray. And unfortunately, the presence of the creatures did not help the warriors who fought for their friends' safe return. For while each Yamanouchi ninja who had been called on to join the rescue could easily handle a bare minimum of three or four of the smaller simian opponents, a single one of DNAmy's creations was able to take on at least two of the shinobi with relative ease. The only ones who could even come close to handling multiples of the chimerical creatures were Hirotaka and Sensei, though that only eliminated a pair each. No matter how the sitch was sliced things did not look good.

Amidst all this chaos, however, things were happening to tip the balance. The first was that Joss was quickly able to convey Ron's battle plan to Yori, and the two of them had managed to make their way over to where Kim was being held…although their battles with three monkey ninjas apiece meant that they weren't really able to focus on freeing her.

"Ah swear, Kim," Joss shot over her shoulder as she exchanged blows with the simians, "Ah never figured on this as part of the missions you and Ron go on. Ah mean, Ah know Ah studied 'em, but I just never pictured…_this_."

"Actually, Joss," Kim replied over the din, "this ranks pretty normal on the weirdness scale. After all, I don't think even you know about the time Drakken crossed the PDVI with the cable line for his TV and zapped us into the programming line-up or the time that Dementor…"

Yori, however, cut in before the conversation could continue. "Despite your wish to traverse previous battle history, might I suggest we focus on this one and freeing you first?" As she said this, she took a momentary pause to whip a few knife-shaped kunai at some of the monkey ninjas, pinning them to the wall with her efforts.

"But how do we do that?" Joss yelled as she smashed her fist into a simian warrior's face. "With the way these things're fightin', we can't even turn 'round to face her."

Kim glanced at the state of disrepair of the manacles, trying to rack her brain for solutions. Her look up came at the exact instant to see Yori whipping another few kunai at a few more monkey ninjas, pinning them quickly to various surfaces—the accuracy with which the kunoichi wielded the flying daggers would have made any professional knife-thrower jealous. Suddenly, Kim was struck by an idea, though it carried very high risk factor.

"Yori, just how good are you at tossing those throwing knives while on the move?"

Though she was unable to face the red-head due to the fight she was involved in, Kim could tell that the Japanese young woman had gained a look of understanding mixed with apprehension. "I have skill, but I question the wisdom of this path."

"What're you two talkin' about?" Joss exclaimed as she glanced back at her cousin during a second-long respite. She saw the older Possible eyeing the rusted manacles, and comprehension began to dawn on what Kim was thinking. "Kim, are you sure yeh want to…"

"No," the young woman replied, "but what choice do we have at the moment?"

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

Unaware of the plan his fiancée was working on, Ron Stoppable found himself face-to-face with a foe he'd never thought he'd ever have to contend with again. And since this particular member of Team Possible's scoundrel line-up loved to embrace one of Ron's greatest fears, it had been a welcoming thought to know a rematch would never be had. However, Monkey Fist now stood before him once more, a look of twisted hatred on the villain's face. Hatred combined with…_amusement_? Regardless of what it was, the moment he was in reach Ron had locked both hands on the Lotus Blade, one on the hilt and one the scabbard. Monkey Fist quickly mimicked the young man, and the two of them faced off over the weapon, each holding it with two hands as they glared at each other.

"Ron Stoppable, how predictable," the simian-obsessed villain drolled out, his voice sounding as though it were being spoken through a large electrical fan filled with rocks, even if the voice was becoming slightly more polished the longer things went. "And yet somehow, my return would not be complete without the opportunity to humiliate you once more."

Ron steeled himself, forcing that old fear of all things monkey out of his throat and back down below where it belonged. "Dude, you don't even know what you're messing with here. I'm not the same 'arch-bumbler' you remember me as."

Monkey Fist smiled, the liquid-stone of his features and the hollowed-out appearance of his eyes giving the expression a very dark twist indeed. "And I think you most likely believe me more misinformed than I actually am. However, walking the Path of the Yono leaves one with a large amount of free time. And with only one being to keep me company, naturally we began to talk."

Ron's mouth dropped open slightly before he forced his focus back on the struggle for the Lotus Blade. "You mean you could talk to the Yono while you were petrified?"

"Precisely," the villain replied with a sinister grin. "I know all about your encounter with the Lorwardians, perhaps more than you are aware of yourself. As it turns out, the Yono is quite…_knowledgeable_ when it comes to the Mystical Monkey Power. But then again, he should be, since he represents all of the darkness embodied within it. "

"You're…you're lying," Ron stammered. "The MMP is a pure force, meant to be used for good. Sensei told me the Monkey Master is a Force of the Light, which means the Mystical Monkey Power has to be as well."

"Spoken like a true student of that old relic," Monkey Fist answered with a laugh that sounded more like a rockslide. "And yet, even I must admit that what he has spoon-fed you is a half-truth…the Monkey Master is indeed a Force of Light. And yet, I wonder why he has never told you about the other half of the coin, that which I have learned of in my conversations with the Yono. Could it be that maybe he fears that both halves rest within you, and that the one called Zorpox could be the _Monkey Lord_?"

"Monkey…_Lord_?" the young man replied confusedly.

"Precisely. Like the other five Heavenly Kung Fu Styles, the 'Monkey Master' represents the Light-side aspect of the Mystical Monkey Power, while the 'Monkey Lord' is the opposite, standing for everything _negative_ that the power has ever been used for or caused."

"Wait…Heavenly Kung Fu Styles?" Ron voiced in confused shock. "I thought Tai Sheng Pek Kwar and the Mystical Monkey Power were the only one. I mean, that's what Sensei…told…me…"

It suddenly occurred to Ron that Sensei had in fact never said that Monkey Kung Fu was the only style to have an ancient power attached to it, and that he'd assumed that all on his own. All this time he could have asked Sensei more about the mystical energies that flowed within himself and Rufus, and he'd squandered that chance like some immature kid. As his mind slowly started to wrap around this idea, Ron began to wonder if maybe that was the reason that Sensei had never told him everything—because he'd shown himself to not be ready for the information. He'd assumed that once he used his powers to defeat Warhok and Warmonga and save the Earth, the MMP would no longer affect his destiny and would just be there for him to call on when he needed from then on. However, it now looked like maybe the unleashing of his powers had only been the start. Even as the savior of the planet, he was still a naïve little boy playing with an energy he'd never taken the time to fully understand. In his shock, he loosened his grip from the Lotus Blade, and Monkey Fist used the opportunity to yank the ancient weapon from Ron's grasp.

"So now the bumbler understands his childishness," mocked the half-petrified villain as he shouldered the mystical sword. "And with that understanding also comes the realization that you cannot stop my full return this night." With that he lifted his simian foot to take a step towards Hana, who was still being held fast by four monkey ninjas who had not yet joined the fight.

However, Ron's hand immediately appeared roughly on Monkey Fist's shoulder. "Just because I'm a bit surprised by what you said doesn't mean I'm not ready to take you on, Monkey Fist."

If the simian villain's eyes had been visible, the glint would have probably been vicious as he turned his head to glare at the young man. "Oh, we shall see about that, _Stoppable_."

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

Kim focused on keeping her hands lying as flat as possible against the stone, waiting for the moment that Yori would let fly. Although she knew her Japanese friend was highly trained in the arts of the ninja, she could not recall ever having seen the young woman throwing kunai or shuriken before tonight. True, she'd seen her more-than-accurate throw of a grappling chain as the two of them both attempted to catch an ally after DNAmy had dumped them down a waterfall, but that was different—there hadn't been anything other than tree branches to hit if Yori missed. If the kunoichi was off-target here, it was very likely the red-head could lose a finger or a hand…maybe even a whole wrist. What's more, they'd agreed to do this all at once so that both of Kim's hands would be freed at the same time. And if that weren't enough pressure, Yori had convinced them that to pull this off, she needed to be at least a few steps farther away, lest the angle of the kunai send one into Kim's chest. No matter how confident she might be, the idea of a deadly blade bisecting her bra before slicing her open scared Kim a bit…after all, she was only human.

"Now!" she finally yelled after a deep breath for courage, sending the plan into action.

Joss leapt into a sweeping aerial kick to drive off Yori's attackers for a mere blink of an eye in time. Quick as a flash, Yori whirled around, the moonlight filtering in to the chamber glinting sharply off of the dark steel of the throwing knives she pulled out of her side pouch. Whether she intended to or not she would never be able to tell, but the moment the Japanese young woman let the daggers fly Kim's eyes shut tight. She waited in darkness for the sign that ended the ordeal, be it the clang of metal that promised success or the sharp strike of pain that signaled failure. The seconds seemed to stretch forever before the answer finally came…

_CHING! CHING!_

Kim opened her eyes and quickly looked down. One of the manacles was now half of its former self, the top hinge having been carried with the kunai that struck it off. The other, however, had been missed…though not entirely as there was now a line of freshly exposed metal beneath the rust that the throwing knife had forcibly removed on its pass.

"Again! Right wrist!" Kim shouted.

Joss let fly with another spinning attack from the opposite side, this one a whirlwind of punches, and Yori leapt over her once more in the opposite direction, firing yet another kunai in mid-leap. This one struck true like the first, burying itself in the barrel of the manacle and forcing the pin out the other side. The ancient manacle gave a sickening groan, and collapsed without Kim even having to apply pressure to it. The moment her wrists were freed, Kim quickly clawed away the rope that had been tied around her torso. The bindings fell easily, and the rusted-out manacle which had secured her neck needed only a few fierce tugs before it gave away with a tired clanking of the ancient metal. Quickly she slid out of the chair, pausing only for a moment in a kneeling position in front of it before rising up into a combat stance.

"Payback time," she declared with a confident grin as a few of the monkey ninjas stepped back in apprehension.

However, before she could throw herself into the fray, her cousin slid in front of her and began fighting against the enemies Kim had been about to engage.

"Joss, what are you doing?"

"My job," the younger Possible declared. "Ron told both me and Yori to make our top priority getting' you and Hana to safety."

Kim was indignant, and tried to step around the younger girl. However, her path was quickly impeded by Yori as the kunoichi altered her positioning to block the red-head's way.

"Stoppable-san was very clear on this matter," the Japanese young woman asserted hastily while exchanging blows with simian warriors. "Without the presence of you and Hana, the ritual known as the 'Monkey's Baton' cannot be completed. And with the Vizier's Dagger out of reach, this is our perfect opportunity to rescue little Hana and escape."

"I'm not running," Kim stated boldly. "The _three of us_ can free Hana, and then one of _you_ can get her out of here. _I'm_ staying here and fighting."

"But Kim," Joss began, only to be silenced by the look in her cousin's eyes. There was no question that Kim had set her mind to this, and that the red-head would allow no argument or discussion on the point.

Yori nodded her understanding (though reluctantly) and the three began pressing through the throng towards Hana. Observers might equate the fury the three young women fought with to lionesses attempting to protect their cubs, and the progress they made like a tornado ripping a scar through a forest. However, just as they reached her, they found Bates standing next to the altar, and next to him an Orangupus holding the Vizier's Dagger—apparently the Fiske butler had done the same thing as earlier, and had the long-armed creature retrieve the dagger for him. Now, he took it and held it menacingly over Hana's struggling, outstretched arm.

"It is time to begin the Monkey's Baton!" he declared with raging determination, bringing the Vizier's Dagger down with a glinting flash.

The next thing that anyone knew, the large stone chamber was filled with Hana's anguished screams as blood spurted from her forearm.

* * *

_a/n_

_The storm has arrived, bringing with it both good and bad things! Things look grim-how can the heroes possibly pull a victory out of this sitch?_

_- Monkey Fist is back, but how long will he stay back? And if he's back for good, who takes his place?  
_

_- Can the Monkey's Baton be stopped? And will Hana and Kim survive if it's not?  
_

_- If Sensei never mentioned a "Monkey Lord" or the "Six Heavenly Kung Fu Styles", what else hasn't he revealed? And why all the secrecy?  
_

_- And finally, what happens when "Ron the Monkey Master" faces off against "Yono Monkey Fist"?  
_

_All these questions and more will be addressed in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

___And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_Six months since the last update. Six months.  
_

_Unfortunately, that's what life can take without you realizing it when things aren't going your way. I wish I could say that my sitch looked better than it did previously, but honestly I don't know if it does. I have found a new job that pays better (and should allow me to move back out on my own soon), but other things have happened that severely damaged the once rosy view I held of the world. In response, I didn't feel good writing about characters like Kim and Ron, who to me carry a lot of hope within them. That view has improved slightly (hence the update), but I can't guarantee it won't affect my writing style a bit. I hope you guys forgive me if the tone is a bit different, but I'm doing my best to keep it the same-to keep true to the sometimes whimsical way I write these fantastic characters.  
_

_However, despite my troubles, dedication to this thing still remains. And again I remind you that once this tale wraps up, the next one will follow shortly. Can I guarantee the breaks will be much shorter?-Hopefully so. Regardless, rest assured I will see this thing to the end. After all, I still love the characters, still love the story, and still appreciate where this journey has taken me thus far._

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_The pictures are still in the works, and moving along much better now that I've upgraded my computer and my drawing programs. I'm even working on a few new techniques to give them extra kick. And again, I hope to start posting some preview posters for my next story relatively soon. I can tell you now that the story will be named **The Plausible Sitch**, and will introduce a few of the key OCs I've created, most of whom already have preview pics over at DevArt or on the blog. And if you need the blog's address, feel free to PM me about it.  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_Oh, and on a special note, Happy Anniversary to the KP and the gang! Ten years ago, on 7 June 2002, that four note beep was heard for the first time on Disney Channel, and we were introduced for the first time to the "I can do anything!" red-head and her adventures with her best friend. Happy Anniversary, Kim and Ron-Thanks for all the memories you've created so far, as well as the ones yet to be discovered. : )  
_


	46. Chapter 46

A/N

Chapter 46 is up and running!

- Team Possible and the Yamanouchi School have failed! And the Monkey's Baton has begun!

- Will Hana and Kim survive this night, or is one doomed to die and the other doomed to walk the Path of the Yono?

- Can Ron finally master the MMP and face and defeat Monkey Fist? And what will it cost him if he succeeds?

- Does Monkey Fist escape the Yono's curse? And if so, who will take his place?

- And even if Team Possible and the Yamanouchis manage to prevail, what repercussions will the effects of this night bring?

Ready or not, here's the sitch!

And here is the necessary stuff:

Kim Possible and all related characters are (c) Disney, Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle, and Stephen Silver.

Original Characters are my creations, and I would appreciate if you ask before you use them. Thank you.

* * *

"It is time to begin the Monkey's Baton!" Bates declared with raging determination, bringing the Vizier's Dagger down with a glinting flash.

The next thing that anyone knew, the large stone chamber was filled with Hana's anguished screams as blood spurted from her forearm.

Time seemed to stand still as all glanced in the toddler's direction. Kim felt a surge of sympathy for Hana, an onset of failure at having failed to protect her, and a wave of raging hatred towards the Fiske butler who had hurt her fiancé's little sister. Meanwhile Joss stared in shock, unable to believe that they hadn't been able to reach Hana in time. Many of the other Yamanouchis felt this same wave of at least partial failure, and for a moment none could make any ground against their opponents…although it didn't appear to matter much, as even the monkey ninjas and DNAmy's creations appeared to pause at the little girl's cry of pain.

Yori, however, felt a much different reaction from her fellow ninja. Yes, she was stunned that they hadn't been able to prevent Hana from coming to harm, but she also knew instinctively that there was more stirring in her heart than simple regret. There was a tugging at her soul she could not explain, for although she and Hana had always been as close as sisters, the kunoichi now wanted to reach out and comfort the toddler like a real sister would. Though she was sure the two of them could not possibly be related, she suddenly felt as if they somehow were…as if somehow hearing the little girl in pain had triggered some deep-seeded memory she had long ago buried.

However, none reacted to the sound of Hana's cries more strongly than one who had become her adopted brother just over a year earlier. Barely a few feet away when it had happened, Ron Stoppable was stunned into two different yet rapidly succeeding states. The first was the astonishment and feeling of overall helplessness of a brother who had been unable to defend his little sister from harm—while he might have once called her the "Little Intruder", Ron now saw Hana as much a member of his family as his parents, regardless of whether they shared the same blood and genetics. And the fact that he'd failed in his promise to keep her from getting hurt stung him in ways that he'd never known before, not even on times when he knew he'd failed where his relationship with Kim was concerned.

The second state of mind, however, negated that feeling of abject failure in less than two seconds. Without warning, Ron felt a surging of everything he'd ever hated about Monkey Fist welling up from deep within his being...although all of that negative energy was directed less at the simian-crazed villain and more at the butler whose fanatical amount of devotion to said maniacal foe could almost put him on par with his master's lunacy.

"Bates, I swear, I'll get you for this!" Ron shouted as the air around his body began to shimmer. "You'd better pray she survives, because if she doesn't I'll kill you! NO ONE…HURTS…RON STOPPABLE'S…SISTER!"

"Relax, you fool," Monkey Fist droned out casually, his tone seeming completely out of place amidst the chaos of the situation. "Bates knows he is never allowed to kill the Han. Besides, the injury my servant has inflicted on her amounts to little more than you might get from a skinned knee."

Kim was about to retort that skinned knees didn't spurt blood when she took a second look at Hana and Bates. Apparently, Hana's scream had been more from the fright of being cut by the crazed butler than from actual pain…although Kim also realized that the toddler didn't look too good at the moment. Regardless, Hana was still struggling against the hold of her monkey ninja captors. Still, there was a distinct lack of the red life-fluid that should still have been spraying from the toddler's forearm. In fact, the cut made by the Vizier's Dagger appeared barely able to ooze more than a single, dripping trail. In all honesty, Kim had treated far-worse many times over during her baby-sitting duties. However, the cut wasn't what caught the red-head's attention.

No, her eyes were instead drawn to the knife forged in the kingdom of Chimpanzania—or rather, to it's now brightly glowing red blade! Whereas previously the Vizier's Dagger had possessed a gleaming silver blade, it now seemed to pulse red, and the pulsing made it look like the dangerous portion of the weapon was literally made of blood. As she took in the sight, Kim understood in an instant why Hana was looking paler than usual. Although the cut wasn't severe, the Dagger had somehow drawn the little girl's blood out of the small wound in a large enough amount to encase itself completely. Kim also understood immediately that while the injury wasn't serious, the loss of blood that Hana had suffered was definitely a cause for concern. With that realization, the fire returned to her protest of what had been done.

"Monkey Fist, have you ever even considered what losing that much blood could do to a child at that age?" she yelled, an incensed bite overshadowing her words and conveying just how furious she was with the villains. "Hana's probably going into shock even as we speak!"

The look on Monkey Fist's face seemed to take on a surprising sympathy for the toddler for a brief second, but it mattered little to the red-head. Before anyone had the chance to react to her pronouncement, she broke the momentary pause in the action that had developed after Monkey Fist's remark by picking up a monkey ninja by the shirt and hurling the simian warrior towards Bates with all her might. The effect was akin to a bowling ball striking pins, and practically every one of his fellows the small primate hit was knocked wildly out of his path. The moment the chain-reaction started, Kim dashed after him slightly to the left, widening the path even more with furious strikes.

Almost as if she were reading her cousin's mind, Joss immediately followed behind but slightly to the right, mimicking Kim's actions so that as the two advanced the path became twice as wide as it had been where the thrown monkey ninja had passed. And darting down the center was Yori, moving with a reaction speed so perfectly-timed that she was always no more nor less than a step behind the other two young women. The melee between Team Possible and the Yamanouchis and their monkey and genetically-altered foes immediately picked back up, but it took less than a minute for the three girls to reach Hana. Quick as a flash, Yori struck all four monkey ninjas holding the little girl with successive strikes, and scooped her up gently. The moment she did, Hana did seem to get more than a little dizzy, and halfway slumped into the kunoichi's protective embrace.

Sensing that the Japanese young woman had the sitch well in hand, Kim faced off against Bates.

"You're ferociously despicable, you know that?" she bit acidly as she aimed a hay-maker directly between his eyes.

Bates merely continued to show that same insane grin as he somehow dodged her with a mere side-step. "What does it matter what you think of me, Miss Possible? In less than a few seconds, Lord Monkey Fiske will be fully returned to his normal state, and you'll have taken his place as the Yono's prisoner." With that, he slashed at her with the blood-encased, crimson blade of the Vizier's Dagger…only to be stopped by the hand of his master before he could manage a second swing.

"You forget, Bates," Monkey Fist said in a very disapproving tone that could only be used by a master on his servant, "that for the 'Monkey's Baton' to work in this situation, it is required that the one who was imprisoned by the Yono must be the one to make the necessary cuts."

"As you say, Milord," Bates replied, handing over the weapon with the reverence of a vassal presenting a treasured sword to a king. "The honor is yours."

"Of course it is," the villain replied superiorly in a tone that was at once filled with glee and laced with the air of insulting someone of much lower intelligence. "It is my privilege as the 'True Monkey Master' to take revenge on those who have usurped my rightful place. But before I do, I believe a change might be in order—something to make _everyone_ a bit more …_compliant_ with the process."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, Monkey Fist's eyes began to glow a bright orange light—the very same glow that had signaled the Yono using his powers when he'd attacked Yamanouchi! The few who knew what that meant quickly tried to react as he began slowly rising, but their efforts were fruitless as an aura of energy suddenly exploded out from Monkey Fist in a quickly expanding wave. Instantly, all but Monkey Fist were encased in the same enchanted stone that had held Sensei, Rufus, and Kim on that fateful night that had set all of this in motion. As he drifted back down, Monkey Fist smiled evilly at the freshly-made statues of his foes.

"Magnificent," he crowed in victory as he surveyed them all.

Hirotaka was frozen in a mid-kick directed at an Orangupus's head, and Sensei was in the process of knocking a Tigorilla's blow away, both of them appearing to be readying themselves for a switch to an offensive against Monkey Fist. Yori had her back to him and held Hana protectively while attempting to shield the little girl from the attack with her own body, Joss faced him with an arm raised and an expression of amazed horror at what was happening, and many of the other Yamanouchi fighters had been captured in similar poses. Even the simian villain's own forces had been fossilized, Bates included, and the room now looked like a garden-of-statues-style depiction of the battle that had been taking place mere moments earlier. And yet, it was the poses of Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible that gave Monkey Fist the most satisfaction. Kim had been solidified with her arms crossed in front of her in a blocking maneuver as she attempted to charge him, while Ron had been dashing towards the simian fiend with his fist raised in a punch clearly intended to make his foe see stars.

"Utterly useless," Monkey Fist gloated in a triumphant mock. "Though you tried, you inevitably fail, and I of course win. Yet if you think your petrified state will save you from the 'Monkey's Baton' ritual, I have the assurances of the Yono that it will not! And now, it is time to reclaim my right as the Supreme Monkey Master!"

He let loose with his signature monkey-like cackle and raised the Vizier's Dagger of Chimpanzania gleefully, watching in adulation as the unnatural light shining from the enchanted position of the new moon glinted off of the flowing red blood of the Han dancing on its blade. Then, savoring the moment of his victory, he took a few measured swings, intentionally missing Kim's hand each time, the thought of Stoppable's face when he realized his love was lost forever to the Path of the Yono making Monkey Fist's insane smile grow wider with each practiced try.

"Finally! Triumph!" he howled in delight as he let the Vizier's Dagger fly in to make the first part of the Mark of the Yono.

However, in that instant, something the villain had not counted on occurred. A flash of blue light, and suddenly a gloved hand chopped upwards into his wrist mere seconds before the blade would have made contact with Kim's petrified skin. The fist's partner immediately followed, smashing hard into Monkey Fist's face. And though the stone features of his current state offered some protection, it did not even come close to neutralizing the blow. The villain was knocked hard to the ground in a temporary daze, but quickly struggled back to his feet.

"This…is…_IMPOSSIBLE_!" Monkey Fist roared as he glared at the opponent who stood before him. "How are you able to withstand the Yono's power? You should be frozen in stone until I decide to release you!"

The figure shook a dazed head however, shaking dust and rubble from their form. "I would call you for messing up KP's name again, but then I'm just as confused as you are."

"But you're nothing more than a bumbler! You're incapable of mastering the skill needed for such resistance!"

"Dude, I haven't got a clue how I did that," Ron replied with a sheepish grin as he stared at the stone that had imprisoned him moments before. "I mean, this is obviously badical and all, but I don't even know what I did. All I know is I wanted to stop you and protect my friends, my sister, and Kim, and then somehow I knew how to get out of it."

"Noooo! You will not stop me this time, you fool! And you will not usurp the title that by rights belongs to me!" Monkey Fist seethed as he began advancing on Kim's petrified form with the Vizier's Dagger flashing. "I am the _True Monkey Master_!"

However, Ron quickly stepped between the two of them, glaring at the villain with hard eyes that had quickly assumed their cobalt blue state. As he did so, the proof of who was the _actual_ Monkey Master came into full view as azure energy began to swirl around him and form into the shape of a monkey. And yet, just like it had been at the first of the year, the energy aura was wild and untamed, the form one of a crazed primate that had every hair standing haphazardly on end.

"Dude, get it through your head: you're not the 'Monkey Master'—I am."

"Really…are you certain?" Monkey Fist replied as the air around his own body began to shimmer as well! In short-order, the simian-obsessed villain was ensconced in his own simian-shaped aura of mystical energy, this one the same orange color the beams and powers of the Yono had been! "Why don't we test that theory then?"

Quick as a flash, Monkey Fist let out monkey-like war cry and jabbed forward with a quick punch. Ron immediately parried it, and sent back his own monkey-styled chop, but Monkey Fist blocked it easier that Ron had parried the previous. A few more blows were swiftly exchanged, and they appeared equal. However, it was still painfully obvious after just a few more strikes that Monkey Fist had devoted himself to training in Tai Sheng Pek Kwar while Ron had not. In fact, after approximately a dozen moves between them, Monkey Fist managed a solid strike that blasted Ron square in the side of the chest.

"Why do you persist, Stoppable?" he gloated as the young man stumbled backwards a bit. "We both know that only one of us knows the power he holds, while the other is still a child playing with a toy he doesn't understand."

Ron grimaced as he gritted his teeth, clutching his chest just below his right shoulder where the strike had landed. "Because even if I am a child with a toy when it comes to the MMP, I won't give up! I'm going to protect Kim and Hana!"

"And how can you?" Monkey Fist taunted as he landed more strikes in rapid succession. "I possess years of study in the Tai Sheng Pek Kwar in addition to the Mystical Monkey Power. Not only that, _I_ am the one who possesses the knowledge of everything the Yono knows! I possess three swords to your one!"

Ron struggled to stay focused as the blows continued raining, though he smiled briefly as he managed to parry off a few volleys of attacks in a row…even if he couldn't get a return blow in. "You know, that's one thing Sensei told me during my one week at Yamanouchi a few years ago that for some reason stuck with me. When it comes to fighting, sometimes a single weapon is better than many. Cause then you can focus on using just that one to its fullest extent."

"What are you talking about, buffoon?" Monkey Fist replied with a sneer, though Ron could see in his eyes that villain seemed at least a tad bit worried about the young man's growing ability to defend against his attacks.

More blows were exchanged between the two, and though Ron could still not get a solid attack in, blocking Monkey Fist was coming easier to him the longer the two of them fought. Once or twice, Ron found himself backed up against one of the petrified statues, and yet for reasons known only to Monkey Fist he didn't press this advantage. Indeed, the simian villain seemed almost as concerned as Ron about avoiding any possible damage to the ones who had been frozen by his earlier outburst of Yono-empowered energy. That didn't mean that Monkey Fist wasn't putting the young man through an extremely difficult trial, though, as it was taking everything Ron had to merely stay in the fight as a decent combatant.

However, in the midst of all of this, Ron could feel…_something_ bolstering his strength. The feeling had been faint at first, almost like a barely perceptible breeze, but now there was a welling of power and confidence building from somewhere deep within him. As it continued to grow, it was almost as if there was a presence with him, helping him in his fight with an opponent who should have probably been mopping the floor with him. And the longer the fight continued, and the more Ron was able to chip away at Monkey Fist's combative advantage, the greater the feeling of ethereal support became, until it felt like the something…no, the some_one_ was guiding his movements, showing him where he needed to attack. Before too long, the young man could no longer tell if it was his own mind telling his arms and legs where to go or the apparent guide who had arrived to help him. Suddenly, he heard what he would later describe as a mystical whisper filling his head:

_You are ready. And do not lose heart—I will return to guide you once more._

Despite the shock of the situation and the fear of not knowing where the voice was coming from, Ron he could feel his agitation slipping away a bit. With an uncharacteristically savvy grin he met Monkey Fist's stare eye-to-eye. "Because, Monkey Boy, I know something you don't. Something I was working on while I was training these past few months when Kim was cheering at our university's basketball games, something I never even told Kim, and only just now did I figure out what I needed to do."

"And what is that, fool?" Monkey Fist remarked darkly as he threw a chop at Ron's neck.

However, thanks to the presence's encouragement, the young man had finally gotten himself under control and achieved the serenity, and thus the full grasp of his abilities, that he'd been striving to reach for all those nights in the G.V.U. wrestling team's old training hall. Without needing to think, he saw the attack as easily as if his foe had decided to throw it in slow-motion. As a result, he caught the villain's wrist with all the skill of a seasoned and practiced master of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar, and held it firmly.

"That while I may not have a way to beat you yet, I do have a way to make sure you don't win," the blonde replied with a smile, the understanding of what he had to do becoming suddenly clear within his mind.

"You wouldn't…" Monkey Fist challenged boldly, but there was an edge of fear to his voice as he began to attempt to free his captured wrist, even taking an unconscious step back as he did so.

Ron would later say he didn't know how he had gained the knowledge of what to do or the insight as to how it needed to be done. But without warning, the young man suddenly leapt at the villain, pressing his free hand to his foe's chest and using the incarcerated wrist to force his opponent's hand to his own chest, and began to focus on making the two aurae into one. The blue of his own manifested spirit then began to forcibly meld with the orange of Monkey Fist's, despite the latter's apparent protest to the bonding. Before either of them could react, the two energies had formed a swirling bubble-shield of blue and orange around the two Mystical Monkey Powered beings, and they began to rise slowly into the air. The higher they rose, the more the bubble of power began to take on a whitish tone, and tendrils of energy began to snake out and lash around wildly.

Somehow Ron instinctively knew he should be focusing only on what he was doing, and yet he couldn't help but look at the extensions as they began slashing across each petrified combatant that surrounded the pair and filled the room. And as the contact was made, something miraculous and unexplainable began to take place. As each Yono-fied statue was struck, there was a sudden loud sizzling sound, and the being or person that had been frozen was instantly mobile and dropping to the ground as if the imprisonment had completely drained them past the point of exhaustion…

******~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

Kim grimaced as she fell to the ground in a heap, the feeling of recovering from the petrifaction powers of the Yono an all too familiar sensation. All around her there were shrill hissing sounds going off, and the sounds of arduous breathing from both human and creature as others were freed from stone just as she knew she had just been. Glancing directly across where she knew she should be seeing Ron, she saw only a pile of rubble just about his size…

"_Ron_?" she breathed tentatively, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she tried to shove a picture out of her mind of how that pile of shattered stone had come to be where her love had stood what seemed to the red-head like barely an instance ago.

However, a moment later she heard Sensei's worried shout. "You must not do this, Stoppable-san! You still have much of your destiny as the Ultimate Monkey Master to fulfill!"

She turned to look at the normally calm head instructor of the Yamanouchi School, and saw him staring horror-struck at something near the ceiling. The fact that the normally calm head instructor of the ninja academy was worried sent chills down her spine, and she had to force herself to look where his vision appeared transfixed. Glancing upwards in that direction, the young woman's eyes came to bear on the glowing white sphere with its tentacles lashing about like live electrical wires, the energy they were giving off causing gashes in the stone where they made contact. Kim thought she could see two figures inside the aura ball, but before she could make out who they were one of tendrils snapped viciously in her direction. She quickly rolled to the side to avoid it as it left a wicked-looking slash in the floor, and nearly rolled over Yori, who was crouching and still clutching a woozy-looking Hana close to her heart. All around them, Yamanouchis were gasping in amazement and fright at the sight of the orb above them, and the forces for Monkey Fist were letting loose primal chitterings and roars that contained the same tone of surprise as the yells of their human counterparts.

"Yori, what's going on?" Kim shouted nervously over the ruckus, a strange feeling of dread creeping up her neck.

The young woman stared transfixed at the hovering figures within the erratic globe of energy. "I do not know how he learned of the technique, but Stoppable-san is choosing to attempt to seal the Mystical Monkey Power within both himself and Monkey Fist. And before you ask, I only know of it because I once questioned Sensei about some scrolls I found concerning the Mystical Monkey Power which mentioned the process."

"Ya mean he's tryin' to lock the MMP up for good?" Joss replied in wonder as she appeared next to them, her clothes still giving off the mystical-looking smoke that denoted someone recently released from the Yono's stone imprisonment.

"Yes," Yori replied with a worried glance at Kim. "But I do not know if he realizes that such an attempt requires a great deal of life force to accomplish."

"What?" Kim slowly breathed out in worried shock. "What are you saying Yori?"

The kunoichi gently turned her head towards her American friend with a saddened yet sympathetic look in her eyes. "Whether he knows it or not, in order to follow this path Stoppable-san must walk a razor-thin line with regards to how much of his own life energy to devote to this task. If he does not use enough, the seal will be incomplete, and may someday break. But if he uses too much, the attempt will most surely cost him his life. It takes a great deal of courage to choose such a path, and only the greatest feeling of wanting to protect one's most treasured loved ones to attempt it."

"Ron," Kim whispered fearfully as her gaze darted back to the frenzied orb floating above them.

All at once, the white energy ball began to glow brighter and contract upon itself, the tendrils fighting violently against the recession as they were apparently being forcibly pulled back in. Then suddenly the white sphere exploded in a brilliant star-burst! There was a great howling of hundreds of unseen monkeys, and the two glowing figures that had been contained within appeared to contort and writhe in excruciating pain!

Then, all was quiet, and the figures began to descend to the ground. When they landed, the glowing ceased, and Ron and Monkey Fist became visible just seconds before both collapsed on all fours, Ron forward like a bear and Monkey Fist backwards like a crab, the latter still locked within his stone-imprisoned form.

"Boo Yeah," the young man let out in an exhausted yet supremely satisfied tone not unlike the one he'd used after getting Drakken to remember his name near the end of the Diablos sitch.

"You fool! What have you _DONE?_" Monkey Fist howled in fury, yet in a voice that sounded weary beyond measure.

"What I had to do, Monkey Breath," Ron replied in an exhausted tone before collapsing forward onto the stone in an unconscious heap.

"RON!" Kim screamed as she immediately scrambled forward to him in a frantic half-crawl, half-walk. She quickly checked his vitals, and although present they appeared extremely weak, and his breathing was much more labored and shallow than she was even close to being comfortable with. He was also covered in multiple cuts and bruises that one would normally see from scraping skin across stone, only much deeper that mere scratches. They were more like gouges in his skin, gained Kim knew from fighting against Monkey Fist in his imprisoned form. But he was thankfully still alive. She cradled his head lovingly, fighting back tears of relief that her love lived.

"MILORD!" Bates yelled at the same time as he rushed towards his master in the same instant.

"Bates," Monkey Fist pleaded weakly. "Help…me up…Please…"

"Of course, Milord," the Fiske family butler replied as he lifted Monkey Fist to his feet with one of his lord's arms around his shoulders. "Shall I have the monkey ninjas and that vile woman's abominations continue the fight for us?"

Kim, who had been leaning over Ron and calling his name in an attempt to wake him up, turned to face the pair, a rage of defiance on her face. "Ready when you are, boys!" she growled through clenched teeth, though she retained her position of kneeling and holding her boyfriend's head carefully.

"No. There is…no need…for that," Monkey Fist replied, a strange smile creeping across his face. "The sacrifice for the ritual of 'The Monkey's Baton' has already been chosen."

Kim immediately got a horror-struck thought of Ron encased in stone as Monkey Fist had been, forever a prisoner of the Yono. But when she looked back at him, there was no trace of his having been cut by the Vizier's Dagger, no Mark of the Yono etched on his hand. It was at that moment that she heard a cry of shocked disbelief issuing from the last person she expected.

"But…Milord!"

Turning back around, she saw Alfred Bates, the loyal servant of the Fiske family for many years, probably since Lord Montgomery "Monty" Fiske had been a small boy, holding up his hand in disbelief. There, written on the back of the butler's hand in Hana's blood, was the Mark of the Yono. And a few feet away, Monkey Fist stood with one arm folded behind his back and his back turned to his servant, looking stronger by the moment, as he held up the Lotus Blade in triumph, his eyes reflecting gleefully yet insanely in its blue-tinted blade. As she stared at the mark on the butler's hand it began to glow, much as it had on the hand of the man's master nearly a year earlier.

"But why, Milord?" Bates cried pitifully, dropping to his knees and holding out his hands in an imploring gesture. "I have served you and your family faithfully my entire life! It was I who continued your work, who never ceased trying to find a way to bring you back! I, who made your return tonight not only a possibility but a reality!"

Monkey Fist merely smiled at the man over his shoulder. "Yes, Bates, you have indeed played your part magnificently. You even offered up your candidacy for this without my even having to ask or order you to do it."

"But, Milord, when did I ever defeat you?" he wailed in desperation.

Monkey Fist grinned maniacally. "Think back to the last time we spoke before I set out to find the Dark Temple of the Yono, Bates. What happened that day?"

Bates gained a horrified expression as the day came rushing back to him, even as his skin and clothes began to shimmer…

**~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**

_Monkey Fist studied the chessboard intently before moving one of his pawns. "And you are quite sure you understand your instructions, Bates?"_

_Bates nodded enthusiastically as he captured a separate pawn with one of his bishops. "Of course, Milord. Regardless of what happens, I am to keep Fiske Manor in perfect condition. And if the worst should happen, I am not to engage in any plans to reverse it until I can fully confirm who, what, and where it happened. But Milord, are you sure you wish to only take some of the monkey ninjas?"_

_"Of course, Bates," the simian villain replied as he countered with a move of his queen-side rook. "After all, some must stay and guard the family home. Unless you want to do it all yourself, that is."_

_"Of course, Milord. Your wish is my command," replied the butler as he captured that same rook with one of his Knights._

_"One more thing, Bates. My reading of the scrolls I lifted from the Red, Blue, and Yellow Shrines has revealed that in order to obtain the power of and control over the Han, I must first make contact with Yono the Destroyer." He smiled, using a bishop to block his servant's knight._

_"Are you sure about this, Milord?" Bates asked worriedly. "You've said yourself that the Yono is a dark force. Is the power of the Han really worth all of this?" He moved his queen into position. "That would be Check, by the way, Milord."_

_"Trust me, Bates, it is most definitely worth it. No price is too great if it allows me to get rid of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable and take back that which should have been mine alone in the first place," Monkey Fist replied with a large smile, though he frowned a bit as he surveyed the chessboard once more. "And you're right, that does seem to be Check. In fact, I see no way to avoid your Checkmate or even force you to a Draw. Therefore, I concede the match to you."_

_"But, Milord, I have never bested you in the King's Game before," Bates replied in disbelief. "Please forgive me."_

_The villain's smile returned, however, even if had taken on a darker tone. "Nothing to forgive, old boy. You were simply the one more mentally invested in tonight's match, that is all. My mind must have been on other things this evening."_

_"Are you sure, Milord?"_

_"Of course, Bates. Enjoy your victory, but don't let it go to your head. Remember, there is a price for every victory."_

******~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**  


"You defeated me in chess, Bates," Monkey Fist continued with a sneer. "Moreover, I never meant for it to happen, and thus you gained an advantage over me. And it was the last time we played before I was imprisoned by the Yono. Therefore, you ruled over me in chess. You were the king, and I was the one seeking to steal your crown. And so the magic of the Vizier's Dagger worked in giving you my ailments and giving me your strengths."

With that he turned and slashed with the Lotus Blade at Bates, instantly causing the butler's clothes, skin, and hair to begin to take on the qualities of stone. The butler stood from his kneeling position as if he'd been burned, and he stared aghast at his rapidly hardening skin and clothes. And, as the condition grew more advanced on Bates, it began with the same speed to recede on Monkey Fist.

"But…Milord…my…service…" cried Bates, his voice starting to take on the quality of gravel his master's had possessed mere moments before, and his movements, skin, clothes and hair becoming less fluid and more rigid.

"…was greatly appreciated, Bates," Monkey Fist replied as all parts of his body and his clothing became as they had been before his imprisonment. "And consider the service you now provide in freeing me from my bondage to the Yono."

"But…Milord…I…I…AAAAAUUUUUGH!"

As if on cue, the moon moved from its proper alignment at that very moment, and the strange light that had been filtering in to the chamber ceased. Then Alfred Bates spoke no more as he became frozen in the form of a statue. On his face, his final, desperate plea to his master would remain forever etched, accompanied by the fear of what he was facing and the shock of being betrayed by the man he had devoted his life to serving.

All present, man and animal alike, stood there in absolute dismay, all of them unable to believe the act of ice-cold cruelty they'd just witnessed. For several moments, no one spoke, and then Joss could hold it in no longer.

"How in the heck could yeh do that to a guy who jest wanted to make you happy?"

Monkey Fist merely retained his smiling smugness. "I don't know what you mean."

"You used him, you despicable _hedoro_!" Yori bit harshly, her eyes full of hatred. "You treated him no better than a piece of garbage!"

"On the contrary. Alfred Bates was my most valuable asset, a man totally devoted to me and my achieving my goals, even to his own detriment, and he will be sorely missed. And besides, I gave him what he always told me was his greatest wish: to give his life in my service."

"But…" Kim started to retort, but her challenge died in her throat twice before it emerged. "But he wanted to live that life seeing you get what you wanted. He didn't want to basically _die_ for you."

"Oh, trust me, he's not dead," replied the simian villain coolly. "If his experience is anything like mine was, he is currently learning that there is in fact still a way to bring him back. A way that I might someday employ if I decide he could be useful to me once again, and which utilizes the path I _specifically instructed_ him to take should the Yono imprison me."

"You mean the other path that DNAmy mentioned," Kim replied as a slight comprehension dawned.

"Yes," Monkey Fist nodded, "though how _that woman_ discovered that method to my freedom is beyond me. Still, I am returned to myself, and we must now turn our attention to the present and address the matter at hand. Obviously, neither of us are in any shape to be fighting further. In my exhausted state, I do not hold my chances very high without the use of the Mystical Monkey Power, despite my extensive training in Tai Sheng Pek Kwar. And you need to tend to your wounded, particularly to the Han. Endangering her life was precisely the reason I did not want Bates to use this path, and I would hate to see my return soured by something ill befalling her. After all, I still plan to one day soon steal her for my own and school her in monkey evil."

"That will never be allowed," Sensei replied in a serious tone as he and the rest of the Yamanouchis quickly began forming a protective circle between the villain and Hana, who was still cradled protectively in Yori's arms.

"Regardless of what you wish, you old relic, it will happen," Monkey Fist growled confidently before his voice shifted back to casual, "but not today. For now, I wish to call a temporary truce until we are all in peak condition once more. To that end, I propose the following: you let me go, and I let all of you leave here alive."

Joss stepped forward in challenge. "Even without Ron, we can take you down easily. Right, Kim?"

Kim, however, looked at Hana, at the paleness of the toddler's skin and the labored quality of her breathing. "No, Joss, he's right. Right now, Hana needs a doctor more than we need revenge for what happened here tonight." She softly removed Ron's head from her lap and laid it softly back down on the stone floor, then stood and extended her hand to the simian villain. "You've got your truce, Monkey Fist. For now."

Monkey Fist's nod was curt and deliberate, and they shook, although Kim noticed that like her own his grip was anything but friendly—he appeared to be having as much trouble accepting this apparent tie as she did. However, Monkey Fist remained quiet and signaled to a few of his monkey ninjas. They quickly lowered the ring holding Rufus and released him, taking the Amulet of Shangorilla from his neck before handing the unconscious naked mole rat to Joss, who held him gently like a baby in her arms. The moment that was completed, Kim nodded to Sensei.

"Yamanouchi, withdraw," the Yamanouchi leader commanded with a nod and a serene folding his arms.

The Yamanouchis and Team Possible began filing out of the Grand Temple's main hall like the weary combatants glad to be done fighting that they were, those who had still had energy left assisting those who had been exhausted by the intense fighting. Yori gently carried Hana, Joss brought Rufus, and Kim and Hirotaka supported the unconscious Ron between them with his arms over their shoulders. Once they reached the helicopter most of the group had arrived in, they all filed inside, all except for Kim. She lingered for a moment after Ron had been loaded in, staring over her shoulder at something with a concerned look etched on her face. Though she knew Hana needed treatment as soon as possible, and probably Ron did as well, there was something she had to do first…

"Amy, are you gonna be okay?" she asked as she walked up and placed a cautious hand on the woman's shoulder.

DNAmy remained in the same spot she'd sunk into when Ron had led the Yamanouchis up to the main part of the Grand Temple just a short while earlier, the falling snow starting to build on her shoulders and on the top of her head. Although she didn't speak, she nodded.

"Do you want a ride?" Kim offered with a kind gesture to the helicopter. "You have my word that if you accept we won't have you arrested once we get back to civilization. You'll be able to go of your own free will."

The rogue bio-geneticist shook her head. "I'll wait on Cuddle Monkey. I know he won't leave me or my babies up here."

Though she didn't share the woman's confidence in that, Kim could tell from her tone there would be no convincing DNAmy otherwise. So she merely patted the plump woman's shoulder one more time and climbed aboard the helicopter, resuming once more her position of cradling Ron's head. As the chopper's blades began to twirl and it started to rise into the air, Kim got a good last look at the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors. It truly was a magnificent structure, and she found herself wishing they had come here under different circumstances so that its beauty wouldn't have been spoiled by what had taken place there. As they took off for the nearest hospital, Kim glanced over the Temple one more time. Though she couldn't be sure, she thought she could see though the falling snow to the entrance to the main hall, and a bunch of monkey ninjas carrying what looked like a rotund statue of a man dressed in clothing suited to an archaeological dig…

* * *

Ron awoke slowly, his eyes still closed. He felt drained, his arms and legs all possessing a sensation of weighing a thousand pounds each. He couldn't imagine moving at the moment, instead feeling like he hurt all over and knew only pain and soreness. And yet, in spite of that, he could tell that something wasn't there that had been there before. It was as if a piece of him had been forcibly ripped out, leaving only a gaping hole in his soul. What that was, he couldn't tell at the moment, but it also seemed as if it were something he was going to sorely miss once he learned what it was.

All of the young man's senses seemed dulled somehow, and he had no idea where he was. He could hear something like a radio coming from somewhere—no, more like an intercom back at Middleton High than a radio. His skin felt funny in some places, like it were both rougher and smoother than it should have been, and his mouth felt as dry as a barren desert. His vision also seemed much darker, and for a moment he was afraid that he'd somehow gone blind…until he realized he had yet to open his eyes since he'd awoken. There was also a weight in his left hand, one that felt strangely familiar and comfortable in a way he couldn't understand at the moment.

Slowly, cautiously, he opened them for the first time, and saw only a blur of white mixed with an orangish-red blob in the lower half of his vision. Beyond that, a round shape and a thin shape, both with a yellow patch near the tops of them, and both slumped at odd angles. As his vision began coming into focus, so did his other senses, and he recognized the intercom as one from a hospital. He also saw and could feel multiple bandages and wrappings around various parts of his body, as well as the red stains beneath them from bleeding wounds he hadn't realized he'd sustained during the fight. Based on that and the fact that he felt sluggish, he surmised that there was probably a morphine drip or some other painkiller-administering device attached to his person. The two shapes he hadn't recognized were his parents, and both were apparently collapsed with exhaustion as they held each other and slept on a couch in his hospital room. And then he looked at his hand, and smiled as the orangish-red blob came into focus.

The weight he'd fell there was Kim's hand, her fingers interlaced with his. She was sitting in a chair by his hospital bed, bent over asleep and using her other arm for a pillow. Her hair had flopped over so that it obscured his view of one of her eyes, and despite the fact that her face held a look of worry (apparently over him), she looked as peaceful as he'd ever seen her. Judging by the fact that she still wore the same clothes as the night she, Hana, and Rufus had been kidnapped, she'd apparently not left his side unless absolutely ordered by doctors to do so. Ron found himself incredibly touched by that since, though he knew they were engaged to one day be married, he still found himself at times surprised that she'd ever agreed to even start dating him. He also smiled at the move because he knew Kim held hygiene in the highest regard, and the fact that she hadn't changed clothes meant she'd never left his side longer than she had to. Though the movement was slow due to the sluggish and murky feeling in his body, he slowly bent over to press a kiss to her temple, a smile that grew bigger when she smiled and her eyes slowly fluttered open to stare dreamily at him for a moment before drifting lazily back to closed.

However, the next moment appeared to alert her that he was finally awake, as her eyes shot open and she sat straight up so fast and quick that her hand jerked his hard enough to make his shoulder feel like it might come out of its socket. An instant later, he was hit full force as she basically launched out of her chair to wrap him in a tight hug around the neck.

"Oh, Ron," she gasped in relief, and he could tell from the shakiness in her voice that she was mere seconds away from crying in happiness. "We were so worried about you, and your parents flew in as soon as we realized you weren't waking up. You've been asleep for two days straight, even after they patched you up."

"I'm alright, KP," he replied with a smile as he hugged her as best he could. "A little disoriented though. Where are we? And what do you mean, 'two days straight'?"

Kim sat back and dragged a few fingers over her face in a move he knew served the dual-purpose of waking her up more and wiping away any traces of tears that might have started. "First question, we're at a Global Justice-affiliated medical facility in Kathmandu, Nepal—it was the closest we could get to where we knew the facilities were good. And second, we left the Grand Temple on Wednesday night, and got here to this hospital just before midnight. And it's now Friday night—well, actually more like early Saturday morning, I guess."

"Aww, man," he complained with a frown. "You mean we missed all of Spring Break?"

Kim giggled a little bit, and a few of the tears of joy escaped her eyes. "I think it's safe to say you didn't sustain any brain injuries, Ron," she retorted with a smile at her love.

They both laughed a little at that, Ron wincing slightly, and it was then moment that the sound of his parents stirring began. Apparently the laughter had been like a trigger, as both Gene and Jeanette Stoppable sat up quickly, both of them with their glasses hanging off of at least one ear—his mother's actually clattered to the floor a bit. Both Stoppable parents quickly fixed their eyewear, and it was at that moment that they seemed to realize their son had finally woken up. Both of them rushed forward, and Kim respectfully backed away a bit to let them through (though Ron noticed she still kept a vice-like grip on his left hand). They hugged and gushed over him like they hadn't in a long time, both issuing praises to Yahweh that he had at least partially recovered from his ordeal. Ron smiled, and though he was forced to wince, gave them both one-armed hugs filled with love.

"Oh, Ronnie, I'm so glad you've come back," Jeanette Stoppable cried out, bowing her head thankfully and shaking her head. "When I think of what could have happened if the doctors hadn't gotten to you in time…" Her composure broke there, and she covered her mouth and cried a bit.

"We're both very glad you're okay, son," Gene Stoppable added as he put a supporting arm around his wife, his own eyes more than a little misty. "We know what you and Kimberly do is important, but to be honest we thought for a bit that you might not come back to us this time. I mean, considering the odds, and all…"

Ron smiled, knowing his father didn't mean anything by the way he'd put that—sometimes it just helped the elder Stoppable if he could break down things into manageable figures and probabilities that he could work out on paper. "Well, Dad, you've said before that sometimes the odds are worth the risk."

"True," his father agreed with a small grin as a tear managed to leak out of his eye.

Ron was about to say something else when he looked at all of them and noticed something else in their eyes, something a little off. And that's when he remembered what had happened that night at the Grand Temple of the Simian Warriors just moments before he'd passed out. Specifically, he remembered the screams of one very special little girl, and how pale she'd looked the last time he'd seen her. A worried shadow cast itself over his face, and he turned to his best friend turned girlfriend turned fiancée.

"Wait, what happened to Hana? Where's my little sister?"

Kim's face suddenly became very hard to read, and it worried the young man to see her go from giggling to serious so quickly. He turned to both his parents, but both had suddenly gone uncharacteristically silent, and they looked at each other as if something was suddenly very wrong and they didn't know how to tell him. Based on their expressions, he could tell that this wasn't something they would ever think of putting into their "this is our way of telling you" method and would instead tell him straight. And yet neither one seemed to be able to do that at that particular moment. So once more he turned to face the young woman who had known him since their first day of Pre-K, and looked her straight in the eyes with a pleading look.

"KP, what's wrong with Hana?"

Kim drew in a breath, bit her lip, and then spoke quietly and slowly. "Ron, umm, some things have…have happened while you've been out. Hana…Hana's alright, but in order to save her life they had to do a transfusion. They needed someone whose blood was close to hers to do it without putting her at risk, and ideally that would be a family member. And…well…it turns out she's not the only member of her family left like your parents were led to believe…"

******~+++~  
~~ KP ~~  
~+++~**  


Hirotaka directed the helicopter off the mountains as fast as he could. "How are they doing back there?"

Kim had Ron's head cradled in her lap, and called forward, "Ron's still out, and he's bleeding a lot but I don't think it's too serious just as long as we get to a hospital soon. Not sure about Hana."

Yori, who had opted to care for the little girl herself instead of resuming her co-pilot duties, placed a hand on the toddler's head. "She feels very cool to the touch, Hirotaka-san. And she also seems much paler. I fear we are running out of time."

Meanwhile Joss, who had taken Yori's place up front, was on her Kimmunicator trying to get directions to the nearest hospital. "Look, Ah don't care about clearances, Wade. Hana's in a real heap o' trouble, and Ron ain't lookin' like he's up for another fight anytime soon, so we don't have time to worry about proper procedure here. Jest get us directions to the best facilities in the area, and we can work things out with 'em later."

On the device's screen, Wade's fingers were flying. "I understand that Joss, but unfortunately I can't get a good fix on your position right now, so I can't tell what you're closest too. That tech that Bates and DNAmy were using to block the signals from the chips messed with the whole system, and the Himalayas and the snowstorm aren't helping matters."

"Wade, just make a decision," Kim called in desperation. "Ron and Hana don't have time for us to make up our minds."

The Montana cowgirl thought hard for a moment. "Wait, what if you jest gave us the closest to the Temple and let us worry about the rest?"

Wade shrugged unsurely, but nodded. "Okay, in that case, head due south into Nepal, and then immediately head southwest. Global Justice has a top-rated medical facility in their base in Kathmandu."

Sensei glanced quickly at the coordinates for their location. "Wade-san, what is the latitude and longitude for that hospital?"

The tech genius glanced quickly at his own computer screen. "27'42 degrees North by 85'20 degrees East. It's pretty much in the heart of the city."

"Tell them to clear their landing pad, Wade," Kim declared. "And to prep for two extreme emergency cases. And considering the situation, I don't care if you pull the 'priority because of who we are' card—just make sure the doctors are there and waiting when we land."

Wade nodded, and the moment the craft touched down on the facilities helipad the group was met by two medical crews and gurneys for both Ron and Hana, and more gurneys and some wheelchairs arrived quickly for those Yamanouchis who had been injured so severely they were unable to move under their own power. Surprisingly, there was also a skilled veterinarian there ready to take a look at Rufus.

"I figured better safe than sorry," Wade would clarify when Kim would question him about it later.

A full hallway of the facility was shut off that evening as Team Possible and the Yamanouchis were examined and treated, and the reasoning was revealed when Dr. Director, Special Agent Will Du, Agent Tomoe Shioda, and a host of other Japanese GJ agents (who Kim surmised to be other graduates of the Yamanouchi School) arrived via transport tube less than an hour after the helicopter had landed.

"When I found out you gave Wade clearance to use your celebrity card, I guessed that this situation had gotten out of hand," the leader of Global Justice explained with a worried surveying look over the injuries that had been sustained. "And I'm guessing by the state of most of the rescue party that I wasn't mistaken."

Kim was about to reply when a Dr. Parajuli came forward. He sort of reminded Kim of her father's colleague Dr. Ramesh, only he was much thinner, taller, and still had most of his curling gray hair, as well as possessing a beard and golden wire-rim glasses. When he spoke, it was in near-perfect English. "Please, who is making the decisions for this little girl's health? We must speak with them immediately."

"Her adoptive brother is the other one you've got back there," Joss replied.

Kim raised her hand. "I can get her adoptive parents opinions for you immediately."

"Adopted, you say?" Dr. Parajuli replied.

Tomoe nodded. "That is correct. As far as we are aware, she is the only living member of her family."

"Hmm, that is not good, not good at all," Dr. Parajuli answered as he removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replacing them. "We need to give this little girl a blood transfusion within the next twelve hours or she will not last much longer. As most of you are Japanese like her, would any of the group consent to be tested for a match?"

Many of the Yamanouchis raised their hands in fervent agreement, but Sensei shook his head gravely. "A search will not be necessary, for a match will be found here, and I know who it will be. Yori, please go with him."

The kunoichi looked rather confused. "But Sensei, while I would like to help I do not see the point in singling me out. If Hana is in danger…"

"All will be revealed later," the wizened teacher replied as he raised a hand to silence her, although it was apparent to all that Sensei suddenly looked as though he felt much older than normal. "For now, help them to rescue Hana from an early death—you, Yori Kimura, are the key to saving your younger sister's life."

* * *

_a/n_

_So the fight with Monkey Fist is finally over, but the story's not quite done._

_- Who was that speaking to Ron and helping him against Monkey Fist?  
_

_- Did Ron succeed in locking up the Mystical Monkey Power for good, or was the seal incomplete? Does his lack of focus during the act mean it could someday return to the young man or to Monkey Fist? Or both?  
_

_- Without the MMP to aid him, is Monkey Fist done for good? Or does the simian-villain perhaps have other methods of causing our heroes trouble?  
_

_- And perhaps the biggest of question of all-Why did Sensei hide the fact that Yori and Hana are actual sisters? Could it possibly have something to do with the other details about the MMP that he's been keeping secret?  
_

_Some of these questions and more will be addressed in the next installment of **G.V.U.: The Freshman Rush**._

___And as always, reviews and comments are always welcome. : )_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_Life-it goes by fast, doesn't it.  
_

_Of course, this time the update took a bit to get out because I was truly working on the story. Honestly, I went back and forth with what to reveal in this chapter (and trust me, I didn't even come close to telling you guys everything I've got worked out here), and had to both take out a lot and add in a few details for clarification before I got it squared away. I also switched around the order of things more than once, simply because I wasn't sure whether or not some things needed to happen before others or not. But I am...relatively (about 97%, actually) happy with what I'm publishing here in this chapter after letting it sit for a week or so, so I figured it's about as close as it's gonna get to what I want.  
_

_On a more personal note, things might get interesting as the year starts coming to a close, with updates becoming a little haphazard. The reason for this is I have determined that I will be moving to Chicago sometime early next year, and I've got to get things rolling on that. I'm also going to be trying to get into an art school up there, since my focus and enjoyment of drawing cartoons seems to be leading me towards a career in cartooning or possibly even animation. (Hey, maybe someday I'll create the next big Disney cartoon, and get to see you guys write fanfics about it-a guy can dream, can't he? : D )  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++_

_Sorry, but the pictures are **still** stuck as "in progress". I've upgraded my computer yet again, and switched over to using Corel PaintShop Pro X4 as my primary digital art program. It's different than the Corel Painter Essentials 4 and the Photoshop Essentials 7 I was using before, and I'm having to spend some time re-learning a lot of the tools. However, it's got some new stuff I'm also learning how to use as well, so hopefully the investment will be worth it._

_And again, my wish is still to start posting some preview posters for the tale after this, **The Plausible Sitch**, relatively soon. For more updates on that, see both the DevArt site and the art blog. : )  
_

_+++KP+++KP+++  
_

_Two special notes this time:_

_- The credit for the idea of how to wrap up the fight with Monkey Fist goes to my late friend and fellow KP fanfic writer, **Screaming Phoenix**. He suggested the idea for Ron's actions when I confessed that I didn't know how to get Team Possible into a status similar to their sitch before the "Graduation" episode. (He also gets credit for naming **The Plausible Sitch**, and was the first to see the first few chapters as my unofficial beta reader-what you'll see for the first few updates from that will be almost word for word what he saw before he passed away.)  
_

_- Secondly, but certainly not any less important, is the status of another fellow KP fanfic writer, **CajunBear73**. Not only does this guy manage to write his own stuff, he's also teamed with another writer (**Sentinel103**) to form the amazing writing duo of **BearSent176**-I highly recommend that you mosey on over and give the stories on either page a look if you enjoy mine. **CB73**'s got a way of writing Kim, Ron, and their friends that is truly an interesting read. Anyways, point is he's had some health problems lately, and I'm sure he'd appreciate some well-wishes and good thoughts sent his way. : ) __  
_


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